Member-only story
4 Things People Need from Leaders
Leadership is a way of life.
When you lead your own life, you demonstrate leadership traits. Others notice, and often you’ll find yourself in a leadership position, whether you sought one or not.
Sure, not everyone in a leadership role has leadership skills; sometimes roles are handed out for seniority or popularity or politics or personality. Maybe some names are coming to mind? That’s not a real leader. True leaders don’t need a position or title. Sometimes, they don’t even realize they are leaders! Demonstrate leadership first. The acknowledgement comes later.
Whether you already are in a leadership position, you hope to be down the road, or you simply want to lead your own life, there are four things people want from leaders (according to Gallup polls) that you can learn to develop and communicate: trust, compassion, stability, and hope.
Each of these must begin within you. But having them within you is not enough. They must then be communicated to others. Not verbally, of course. If you have to say, “I’m trustworthy,” well… that’s not a good sign. Demonstrate these traits through behavior and nonverbal communication. That goes a lot farther! Here are some ways to do that.
