Leadership: nature or nurture?

This is a question that is often debated, and in reality there are often elements of both. Some people are natural leaders. Others aren’t and have no desire to be. Then there are those in between, who have few natural leadership skills, but want to learn to become a leader. 

Business owners tend to fall into the first and last categories, but regardless of where you find yourself on this spectrum, it’s important to always be honing your skills. As John F. Kennedy once said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” 

Here are a few ways you can nurture the leader in you: 

Ask yourself, ‘Am I ready to lead?’

Successful leaders are driven and motivated. If you’re not quite confident enough to lead, you’ll lack this drive and motivation, which can impact on your growth and success. So how do you figure out if you’re ready? A good test is to acknowledge any hesitancies you may have about leading. Write down your doubts and worries about leadership, and work through how, or if, you can overcome them. 

Know what qualities a good leader in your sector should possess

There’s a general consensus of what a leader should be; decisive, confident, and inspirational, to name a few ideas. But which leaderships skills are important in your industry? For example, in a very fast-paced setting, decisiveness may be highly valued, whereas a slower-paced creative environment may hold an inspirational leader in higher esteem. Identifying these and building them into your leadership style is key to establishing yourself and your business within your sector. 

Never stop learning to lead

Even if you’re a natural born leader and have been leading teams and businesses for years, your learning should always be ongoing. It can be easy to lose motivation if you’ve been in the same leadership role for a long time, or if you take on a new venture in which you need to adapt your skills, but leadership is one of the hottest topics in business, which means there’s a wealth of learning material available to get you inspired. Seek them out and keep developing your leadership skills.

Chew on this:

How can you nurture your existing abilities to lead?