What makes a good leader?
Leadership is no easy task, to manage people is an ordeal, to allocate responsibilities is stressful, to deal with uncooperative individuals always seems to take years off one’s lifespan.
However, by choosing to become a leader, you, by default, accept the burden, the glory, the ups, and the downs and all the terms and conditions that come with the job.
Leadership doesn’t come easy to anyone, no matter how well versed they may seem. Rather, leadership is a skill that must be honed and polished, and sharpened day in and day out.
Leaders have the pleasure of dealing with those who are eager but also must motivate freeloaders, t
Leaders can bask in the delight of a job well done but also must shoulder the blame for unsatisfactory results.
Leaders must be confident in themselves and their team, masking the team’s holes at all times.
After all, when someone asks you if everyone did their part, you cannot point out the work each individual did or did not, you must smile and say, “Everyone pitched in best they could.”
You see, it is a leader’s job to be the foundation that holds up the team.
As a leader, you will come across some of the most hard-working, sincere, and creative people you will ever meet.
However, you will also work with people who seem to turn your hair white.
They may shrug off work or may contribute immensely. They may never be able to keep deadlines or may always finish up early.
There is no shortage of people in the world and each of them possesses their own personality-some infuriating, some pleasant, and others plain bewildering.
The type of person they choose to be is up to them.
However, it is up to you to learn how to deal with and manage all types of people.
I have found that knowing when and how to say something proves itself to be indispensable.
This is definitely easier said than done. I, too have stayed up until dawn pondering over my words and sometimes, even drowning in regret.
“Could I have pointed out that mistake in a nicer way?”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have bugged them about the layout.”
“Should I have reworded my statement?”
These thoughts seem to haunt me as I lay in bed after school.
There is, however, a bright side.
I have found that this ability can be polished with time and experience.
As time passes, I often catch myself before uttering words I am sure to regret- a phenomenon that was a rare gem in the not-so-distant past and that is when I notice my growth.
Even though I am still on my journey to perfect my capacity for discerning necessary and unnecessary verbal exchanges, I believe it has helped me maintain better interpersonal relationships and create better working environments.