When we think about leadership, the first thing that comes to mind is power, popularity, and influence. We often think about the leaders we see on television and the leaders we see on posters. But the truth is, true leadership is more than just the superficial appearance that is often portrayed in the media. True leadership means setting leadership goals for the common good of the team and organization.
The goals of a leader are oftentimes in the background, hiding from the spotlight. Because they are confident and comfortable in their capabilities, they do not care for power nor popularity. Rather, a strong leader measures their success by the people they inspire and empower.
Let’s take a look at these leadership goals that make a leader strong and capable.
8 Goals for Leaders That Will Make You Successful
1. Their first leadership goal is to develop self-discipline.
If you want to be a better leader, you must first learn to lead yourself. In order to teach others to take responsibility, a true leader sets an example for their people to follow.
Self-discipline means taking full control of your thoughts, action, and habits. It means doing what needs to be done even if you don’t feel like doing it. A strong leader puts self-discipline in their list of leadership goals. They train their thoughts and self-awareness, so they can command respect from others and lead by example.
2. They know how to manage time properly.
One of the best goals of leaders is to manage their time properly. For them, time needs not to be wasted. If you are aspiring to become an effective leader, start by making use of your time to do rational activities. Use bullet journals or time-tracking applications, so you can document your upcoming tasks for the following days.
Leaders exhibit self-discipline through proper time management. They believe that with time management, they can gain motivation to stop sitting around and pursue their goals.
3. They are effective listeners.
You learn a lot from being curious. Just from asking questions, you’ll uncover handy insights from your people that will help you lead better. But strong leadership isn’t all just about asking questions. One of their leadership goals is to actively listen to their people to truly understand the meaning behind their words.
As a leader, you have to achieve the highest level of active listening: reflecting. Before jumping to another topic, try to share what the team member said using your own word. The better listener you become, the more respect you’ll gain from those you’re leading. Most of all, you’ll also gain wisdom that is innate in every person, including your employees.
4. They know how to manage their stress and stay positive.
As a leader, your mood can greatly affect your team members rampantly. If you’re happy, the entire team will pick up on the vibe you’re giving off and become happy too. And it goes the same way if you’re stressed — they become stressed too.
While it is normal to feel stressed, leaders must give themselves space to sit back, think, and manage their emotions. They’ve been putting out fires all the time, so it’s only right to take a break when needed.
5. Great leaders are regular readers.
Every leader knows that learning is a continuous journey. And by forming a regular reading habit, they’ll be able to gain new knowledge.
If you’re a leader who is new to reading, you can put together a curated list of books you can find on the internet. I also suggest that you read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. How to Win Friends and Influence People breaks down numerous insights on how to give praise, the power of listening, and how to motivate others. Surely, this book will help you develop your people management skills that are important to your other goals as a leader.
6. One of their leadership goals is to micromanage less or not at all.
Some leaders tend to micromanage because they fear their loss of control. A study shows that 48% of bosses like to be seen as experts — and it shouldn’t be that way. What a truly skilled leader does is they put their trust in their employees through delegating tasks and encouraging them. Instead of correcting tiny details, they try to see the bigger picture.
Learning to manage well instead of micromanaging helps improve team member’s job satisfaction. For new leaders, always remember that spending less time in the weeds means more time for planning and big picture thinking.
7. Leadership goals are not just for yourself — true leaders must identify and foster leadership in others.
A leader’s role is to mentor, delegate, and direct others. They understand how important it is to create a new leader that will step into the role they currently occupy. Furthermore, they do not fear being replaced; they are not concerned with maintaining a top rank nor preserving their ego. Instead, they encourage others to improve and be better for themselves. And while they’re becoming the better version of themselves, they are also helping the leader reach their goals faster — it’s a win-win situation.
8. Strong leaders build resilience.
A strong leader builds resilience even in times of hardship. When an unexpected event comes, they still remain flexible instead of allowing that challenge to bend them.
While some people are not resilient in nature, the good news is, it can be learned and developed. The key aspect to it all is to look on the bright side even in stressful situations. But don’t mistake it for complacency. Look at the bright side — BUT take actions to improve the situation.
Real leaders may not be common in our society. At the end of the day, it’s always the popular and the influential who gets the spotlight. But those who lead by example, who put trust and loyalty to their people, and who always set leadership goals to better themselves — they are the ones who will truly leave a mark.
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