How to Become a Better Leader

I believe good leaders have the desire and willpower to become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience. I think one of a leaders’ main goals should be to inspire their workers into higher levels of teamwork, which can be acquired through continual work and study. Good leaders should constantly be working and studying to improve their leadership skills. Leadership is defined as a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills.

Respected leaders concentrate on what they are (such as beliefs and character), what they know (such as job, tasks, and human nature), and what they do (such as implementing, motivating, and provide direction). I believe that I possess many strengths that make me a good leader. One of my strengths is that I constantly seek responsibility and take responsibility for my actions. I am always asking if there is anyway I could help out more in MMA and in my sorority. I want people to look up to me and respect me and I know that things do not always go as planned, and I never blame others for my mistakes. Also, I always try and analyze the situation I am in and find some way to correct the problem before moving on to the next challenge.

I believe my best strength is that I make timely decisions. I never procrastinate and I always plan ahead and try and give myself ample time to get tasks completed and make a decision. In all my teams for class I try to set the example and act as a good role model. I believe that if one person slacks, everyone in the group will model to that person, and that is never the direction you want an effective group to go in. When working in a group, I also make sure that everyone is informed. I am usually the one sending out the emails to delegate tasks and making sure that everyone is up to speed. Lastly, I always ensure that these tasks are understood and accomplished. Being a good leader entails that you care about your group members and want everyone to be successful.

One weakness that is holding me back from being a good leader is my tendency to be a follower in a big group, rather than a leader. Very loud, strong headed and overly confident people make me not want to take control as much for fear that they will not like my ideas. I also have a hard time saying no if someone is willing to take control and lead the group. Another weakness of mine is communication. I am always very good at paying attention in class and, therefore, if I hear the teacher give requirements for a project, I just assume that everyone else is paying equal attention. I need to make a more conscience effort to make sure that everyone is communicating with one another and is aware of what needs to be accomplished. This ensures the team will be building a healthy relationship and working together. Lastly, I have to remember that everyone is different and that we all don’t approach tasks in the same way. I must use my sense of judgment to assess each person and determine what kind of work load I honestly think they will complete effectively based on their schedule. If the work is not completed when it is supposed to be done, I need to learn how to confront that person and ask them why it has not been done and make sure that they understand that this is going to put us behind. I always want people to like me and this is the main reason that I have a hard to giving constructive criticism and approaching people. These are a few areas that would be holding me back from being an effective leader.

This summer I was the team leader for my group internship presentation project for Enterprise. Our topic was to explain how the founding values of the company related to the four core areas of the business. All the interns were assigned teams of three at the beginning of the summer