A huge number of women nowadays receivehigher education. But at the same time, there are very few women among the heads of companies and enterprises. There are various reasons for this, and perhaps the main one is related to pregnancy and motherhood, which are inseparable from the essence of a woman. And men want to be not just a “financial source” for the family, they also strive for career growth. While a woman bears and then raises a child (and often gives birth to a second baby soon after the first), a man is engaged in his professional growth. As a result, a man has a much better chance of taking a leadership position than a woman. Even if a woman devotes herself entirely to her career, gender stereotypes of her role in society become an obstacle to achieving leadership in many professions. Nevertheless, a woman-mother has every chance of becoming a good leader - raising children is an excellent “testing ground” for acquiring leadership skills. Therefore, it is easy for a woman to understand how to become a leader in a team, because she already knows how to negotiate, persuade, and attract cooperation. She can successfully apply these qualities in the workplace. And we will suggest a few more ways to develop leadership qualities in yourself. So, how to become a leader?

10 ways to become a leader

So, you've firmly decided that supporting roles- not for you. Well, go for it - it is quite possible to become a leader, if only there is a desire. Of course, there is simply no universal recipe for success, but several rules must be followed - without them, you are unlikely to achieve your goal. Of course, you can make adjustments for the situation, but the essence of these methods remains unchanged:

• A responsibility

Take responsibility for your ownprofessional development. True leaders are the “authors” of their own lives. You cannot afford to be passive and play a role assigned to you by someone. You must know exactly what you want. And, of course, put in every effort to make it happen. And don’t rely on someone else to decide for you — you must make all the decisions. And, by the way, take responsibility for them — in case of failure, you will have no one to blame but yourself. And in case of success, you will know for sure that it is only your merit. Responsibility is not an easy burden, so at first it will be hard for you. But if you cope — everything will pay off with interest.

• Objectivity

Without objectivity, becoming a leader is easyimpossible - what can you demand from others if you can't even evaluate yourself adequately? Alas, very often people avoid objectivity because they are afraid to admit to themselves that they are not perfect. But, as we know, there are no perfect people, so it is stupid to bury your head in the sand - you need to learn to turn shortcomings into advantages. But you should not engage exclusively in self-flagellation - look for your strengths. They simply cannot not be! Leadership is largely a strength of character. Knowing your strengths will allow you to find ways to choose working conditions that allow you to express and develop your best qualities.

• Identify goals

See your goal clearly.A leader is able to create a compelling vision of the goal, strive for this goal themselves, and inspire others to take action. Knowing that you are on the path to achieving your goal will help you plan your professional development correctly and will also make you more resilient in the face of obstacles that arise. And without a clear and clearly visible goal, it is easy to give in to other people's expectations. There is nothing worse than looking back with regret on your life in which you failed to achieve what you wanted.

• Create your own group

Create a personal advisory group.This is one of the most important tips on how to become a leader in a team. Any confident leader needs support. Creating an advisory group will allow you to receive help from several people. Each of them can make a unique contribution to your successful career, sharing their experience and knowledge with you. You will have advisors who will perform different functions, and this will allow you to get the help you need without overburdening any one person. Having such a group has another positive side. Each of its members will feel important and needed. And this is very important for any person - no matter whether he is a leader or has played second fiddle all his life. And if you give people a sense of their own importance, your authority in their eyes will increase many times over.

• Strive for excellence

Keep learning and improving.Strive for professional development. Don't wait for your company or organization to invite you to attend a seminar - look for an opportunity to learn yourself. It's hard to imagine a person who is not interested in anything in the place of a leader, right? In addition, the knowledge and skills you gain will open new doors for you and help you move up the career ladder far ahead. And this is true for absolutely everyone - both for an ordinary office worker and for the head of an organization. It is not for nothing that our ancestors claimed that a person begins to degrade the moment he stops learning something new.

• Take the initiative

Take initiative as often as possible -Of course, within the limits of what is permitted. Initiative is one of the main signs of leadership qualities. Develop a plan for your career. Define specific, measurable goals and ways to achieve them. Proactively influence the situation in which you work, and do not simply react to situations created by others. A leader is able to develop strategic plans that will lead to a goal. If you sit and wait for someone else to show initiative, do not be surprised if this same someone else takes the position of leader. Often, many people are afraid to show initiative - some are afraid that they will make a mistake, some are afraid that the initiative will turn against the initiator. But all of these are initially erroneous attitudes that will not lead to anything good.

• Do not be afraid to take risks

Risk is a noble cause, so learntake risks. To develop leadership skills, you need to get out of your comfort zone. In order to break through the stereotypes that keep women from leadership positions, you need to demonstrate your confidence. You must be able to learn on the job, and not put it off until you have the necessary knowledge. (A personal advisory group will be of great help here!) Although, of course, you should not forget that any risk must be justified. It hardly makes sense to risk a million-dollar contract for the sake of a few percent discount. But taking a risk and introducing some new technologies into production that will help increase productivity many times over is not only possible, but also necessary.

• Be optimistic

A leader simply has to be an optimist.When faced with failure, optimists do not give in to the feeling of helplessness. They keep their attention on the goal, finding alternative ways to achieve it. Optimists see a mistake not as a disaster, but as an opportunity to learn. And how does this usually happen in practice? Did your boss scold you? That's it, it's a disaster, the boss is picking on me, I'm a loser and in general - life has gone wrong. A typical reaction, unfortunately. A person with the makings of a leader reacts to such situations quite differently. Did your boss scold you? Well, that means there was a reason for it. And that means that in order to avoid such a situation in the future, you need to carefully analyze your mistakes and do everything possible to avoid repeating them. No mistakes? Did your boss really just try to pick on you? Well, a leader is always able to persistently, but reasonably defend his position. But he will never become despondent!

• Become a "star"

Find such a niche in your activitiesorganization, work in which would be most interesting for you. And start developing and deepening your knowledge in this area. Become the best among the few specialists in this field, and you will immediately acquire invaluable value for your company. This will increase your chances of taking on a leadership role. And if you are a hundred thousandth unemployed specialist, it is unlikely that you should hope for a dizzying career.

• Socialize

Socialization is a natural process,which begins from the moment a person is born. However, there is always room for improvement - quite often even adults are absolutely helpless in society. If you want to become a leader - you simply cannot do without communication skills. Effective leadership is the ability to find contact with people. Social intelligence consists of several components: self-control, the presence of a social "radar" - a leader can assess the emotional state of another person and can read non-verbal signals. Your ability to influence people will depend on your ability to probe their reaction and adjust your approach to them accordingly. A sense of justice. Be open to different points of view and demonstrate your willingness to understand their perspectives. Strengthen your leadership position by expanding the capabilities of the team, create an atmosphere of cooperation and openness. And I would like to mention one more quality in our conversation about how to become a leader and manage people. Research conducted by psychologists from different countries shows that one of the most important characteristics of effective leaders is ... compassion! Compassion, caring, generosity, altruism and empathy. Women should keep this in mind. Too often, a woman leader is urged to act tough, like a man. With all the more satisfaction, they can learn that the most effective leaders exhibit the traits most often inherent in women! So go for it - nothing is impossible. Your success is entirely in your hands! We recommend reading:

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