Become a Leader

If you want to be a leader, if you want people to follow you, you need to build in your potential followers a deep respect that comes only when truly deserved. This applies across a wide spectrum of relationships from parent to child, boss to employee and so on. You must set out with a mission in mind. This mission will take time, it won’t be easy and it may not work for you. Sounds great right? Well, the truth is it may not work because we are all imperfect and so are those we are trying to lead, there will never be anything that can accomplish a perfect plan unless there is pure love involved. The truth to this is that we don’t yet live in a society that can support that. Not to say it can’t be found in personal relationships but for this example we will leave it out. The good news is there are many ways to achieve the status of an effective leader. I will outline one way or system that I believe will attribute to a high level of success in leadership on every level known to man.

Given the notion that respect will play a large role in becoming a leader you will have to recognize why someone would want to show you respect or why someone would consider following you. Someone will want to follow you if they believe it would be in their interest to do so. Next, you will have to build that relationship by proving that you have their interests in mind, that they will believe that every one of their successes will be a personal success for you. Helping them understand this can be achieved when proven, it’s typically hard to achieve only when said. Practice in deed will make them believe. Now, once they believe you really want them to succeed they will trust you.

Trust is essential for this to plan to work. You have gained trust by invoking in your follower a belief that their successes are as important to you as your own personal successes. The most difficult part is gained over time and that is building the trust into a deep respect. A real respect, a respect that is profound enough that when mistakes are made they feel as if they let you down. Think about this for a moment. Have you ever had someone you can look back at as a powerful leader that helped found who you are today? If you were in their presence and let them down you would feel awful, you may even feel as if you would first let yourself down before them. This person had a dramatic impact on you.

The most devout followers of all religions I can think of trust and admonish some form of deity. They seek approval, they seek forgiveness when needed, and they feel ashamed for breaking oaths or covenants. This is because they know that their Supreme Being they follow has their interests in mind. Take into account how others see you, obviously not as a Supreme Being but if you are seeking to be their leader you will know how devoted they are to you if they respect you enough to not want to let you down. Gain respect by proving to them you want their success, grow in this respect until they trust your intentions, and then you will have a true follower, one that will never want to let you down.