What makes a good leader???

Leadership is a topic that I've struggled to understand over the years. The reason for this is because I don't know what style would work best for me. Some people prefer being a vocal leader as opposed to someone who leads by example. But I think we can agree that no matter what style is used, the main objective of leadership is to influence people toward a specific result. It is important for the leader to have the support and trust of their colleagues. Without that, it would be impossible to achieve the desired goal.

For me personally, I would like to think of myself as someone who leads by example. I always believed that actions speak louder than words because if you say something, you better back it up or you will look foolish. That's where leadership can get tricky. At certain points, you need to speak up and provide guidance. Because if you don't say a word, your colleagues might think you don't know what your doing. I'm not saying you need to get in someones face to get their maximum effort. The best quality about leaders that I've seen is having the trust of their colleagues that no matter what happens, the mission will be achieved. Take Derek Jeter for example. He is quiet by nature but when it comes time to play the game, he has confidence that his team is going to win every night. His teammates admire him for his preparation and his intense focus. He knows that in order to win the game, he needs his teammates to have the same mindset he has.

This topic can be defined in so many ways. There is no right or wrong answer about how it can be best achieved. As long as your colleagues have their faith in your ability to do the job, that's all you can hope for. I'm going to stick with my approach about actions speaking louder than words. It has suited me well.