Five Techniques to Help Employees Become Leaders

Are Leaders Made or Born?

Much like the classic “chicken and egg” debate, there have been decades of sometimes heated discussion regarding the origin of leaders. All agree that effective leaders are a necessary ingredient to business, sports, medical, research, military, and all other team-oriented activities. The questions, of course, are “Where do they come from? How do we find them? How can we identify them? How can we make them?”

Historical data would dispute that leaders are “born” to excel. Even those that support the theory that leaders are a combination of chromosomes admit that early years’ environment and training are usually needed to develop successful leaders. Children may exhibit some leadership tendencies and attitudes, but like their athletic, artistic, musical, or math ability, their recognized talents must be encouraged, cultivated, and mentored for them to flourish.

Leadership is a much more “subjective” talent than your ability to play the piano, hit a baseball, or solve difficult statistical math problems. Yet, most people seem to know it when they see it. It’s true that sometimes, particularly with younger children, you might be fooled by the 7-year old who is very vocal and tries to “manage” her entire 2^nd grade class. She may or may not grow to be a leader. She may just become an annoying person as she matures, or she may become a valued leader.

What Leaders Really Do

There are some generally recognized characteristics of successful leaders. Here are the perceived most important of these talents. Good leaders -

• Make a conscious (or, sometimes, subconscious) decision to lead others.
• Have and share a vision for the present and future.
• Are a direct source of inspiration and motivation to others.
• Understand that others will choose to follow people who make them feel important, valuable, and appreciated.
• Are trustworthy and ethical people, who live their beliefs more than just talk about them.

Because of a combination of these characteristics, leaders build teams of dedicated people, players, experts, or the general population. They have a wonderful ability to transmit the desires of their superiors to team members in a fashion that achieves goals and maximizes performance. They instill passion and positivity without resorting to fear, mystery, superiority, or belittlement. Real leaders are invaluable in business and every other facet of life.

Five Ways for Employees to Become Leaders

1. Understand what your peers want. Those on your team are unique humans, many of whom are motivated by different stimuli. To stand out from the crowd, learn the likes, dislikes, desires, needs, and preferences of your peers. By treating your co-workers with respect, soliciting their opinions on suggested improvements, creating trust they can count on, maintaining their confidentiality, and showing willingness to share power, you will often develop their confidence in you as a leader.
2. Recognize the difference between the “Millennials” and the Gen-X’ers and Baby Boomers. The newest generation, popularly termed the “Millennials” (typically born between 1979 and 1999), are beginning to enter the workforce. They tend to understand working in teams, be more comfortable in situations of diversity, and want consistent feedback regarding their progress and efforts. Some classic leadership theories may not work well with this group, so develop an understanding of their group "personality" to improve your communication and respect with this emerging group.
3. Take advantage of the incredible electronic skill levels of younger workers. Many of your younger peers or subordinates have skills with cell phones, computers, digital imaging devices, and other electronic equipment that may, at first, seem intimidating to you. However, if you use these skills as part of your developing leadership techniques, you might create strong trust and confidence of this group. Respecting their abilities, instead of downplaying or fearing them, can greatly improve your image as a leader. Because of your recognition of this expertise, your younger workers often become your biggest supporters as a leader.
4. Within the context of your corporate structure and culture, try to make your workplace enjoyable and employee-friendly. Even if you haven’t yet been given much authority, you can improve your leadership image by making your workplace a “fun” place to be. Your peers, young and not so young, will normally consider you a positive influence in the workplace, often adopting your relaxed and friendly philosophy. These positive signals tend to build upon each other, creating the perception that you are a leader to be followed and aided.
5. Learn, learn, learn. Leaders are always a resource for information. The more you learn about your company, your job, the jobs of your peers, your products and services, and the future plans of the corporation, the greater your stature as a future and/or current leader. To be considered an effective leader, you need more than a winning attitude, positive outlook, and sense of vision. In addition, you should be universally recognized as a fountain of knowledge that you share and which is valuable to your peers.

It's statistically difficult to present a carved-in-stone road map to follow to become a respected leader in your company or field. However, these five techniques have proven to be important stepping-stones to leadership creation. The bottom line: Leaders are those people that others WANT to follow. Being heavy handed, authoritarian, or disagreeable does not a leader make. Being positive, trustworthy, ethical, and committed to the well being of the team WILL establish you as a leader.