What does it mean to be a born leader?
Born leaders are people with an innate capacity to effectively manage and lead groups of people to achieve collective goals. Instead of learning to become an effective leader, they have the instinctive ability to inspire others and encourage them to follow their vision. Employees feel more comfortable accepting instructions and trusting natural born leaders. Born leaders can continually improve their leadership by identifying new skills to develop and practicing different management styles.
6 qualities of a born leader
Here are six qualities of a born leader:
They find meaning and purpose in their work
Natural born leaders display a genuine passion for their work. They follow their dreams and live by their ideals. With a great sense of purpose, they understand that their work is meaningful and important. Born leaders also have the capability to inspire the same purpose in others. They help team members understand how their work contributes to the company’s success, increasing their motivation.
They are great listeners
Born leaders give their full attention to a speaker during a conversation. They are good at maintaining focus on the person they’re communicating with. When they respond to you, they won’t turn the conversation to whatever they want to talk about. They will respond thoughtfully and ask questions to clarify when needed. Great leaders have a genuine interest in the ideas of other people.
Related: How to Manage Employees
They don’t overwork themselves
Highly successful leaders know that work-life balance is important. They make time outside of work personal activities. Taking time for themselves helps them achieve more when they are at work. Since they understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance, they won’t overwork their team members. They encourage others to take time away from work when they need it. Knowing when employees need a break shows that they genuinely care for their wellbeing.
They constantly learn new things
Great leaders have an innate desire to learn. They don’t need rewards to learn new skills to better themselves, and regularly ask questions when they want to know more about a certain topic. Natural born leaders enjoy learning about different areas of a business to see if they can contribute to a goal or objective.
They encourage others to learn more to help them excel in their careers. When an employee asks about different opportunities within the company, a born leader is eager to find ways for them to learn more about the position and give them the tools they need to succeed.
They have self-confidence
Self-confidence is fundamental for effective leadership. Making decisions when there is uncertainty is inevitable, and good leaders take responsibility when choosing an uncertain outcome.
Leaders need to be able to give people clear answers and directions. Natural born leaders know that they can accomplish goals, so they trust in their intuition when they need to make a choice. Self-confidence reassures employees that they are doing the right thing and helps them to have faith in the company’s missions and ideals.
They unite employees
Born leaders have a natural ability to join employees in a common cause or goal. They know how to influence others to share their purpose, and continually encourage others to achieve an objective. After convincing others to strive for a common vision, they outline steps that detail how each member can contribute, maintaining productivity. When conflict arises, they can easily mediate the situation by learning about each employee’s perspectives and reaching a mutual agreement.
How to improve leadership skills
By improving the right skills, you can learn to be a better leader. Follow these steps to learn how to develop good leadership skills:
- Practice leadership skills. Every time you interact with your employees is an opportunity to improve key skills for leadership. Focus on abilities such as active listening, empathy, critical thinking and conflict resolution. You can also make a list of skills you want to improve and make an effort to practice them.
- Identify your leadership style to develop more self-awareness when you leading. Some leadership styles may be more effective for you depending on your personality and the company culture . In many cases, a mix of leadership styles gets the best results.
- Develop a clear vision that inspires your employees. Your vision should encompass your core values and overall company objective. To solidify your vision, create a one- or two-sentence vision statement. Adding your vision statement in an employee handbook and on your company website reminds employees of their purpose, increasing their drive.
- Find a mentor who has demonstrated their leadership capabilities. They will give you advice or share what they have learned over the years. Ask them what difficulties they have faced and how they solved them. Your mentor needs to serve as a guide throughout your career.
Related:7 Effective Skills to Help You Become a Better Leader
FAQs about born leaders
Below, we explore some frequently asked questions about born leaders.
Are leaders born or made?
There is no definite answer to this question. Some people believe that leaders are born with qualities like charisma, empathy and self-confidence. Others think leaders take extensive time and effort to develop the right skills.
How do you spot a born leader?
Born leaders naturally possess certain qualities that make them more effective. They are charismatic, self-confident, intelligent and highly socially aware. You will notice that they naturally get along with others and are great at resolving conflicts.
