Five signs you are a true leader!

Leaders are born, leaders are made… while the debate will go on, there is a leader in all of us for sure. The thing is – it is hard to be a leader in all spheres of life all the time. However, there are some underlying traits and behaviors that are universal. When you see these – know that it is the spark of leadership manifesting itself! So what are the indicators?

1: Seniors, peers, and people of all ranks seek you out for advice. They value your inputs and have full trust in you. They wait until you are available to coach / guide on important decisions. You get invited to important meetings and are part of high visibility projects.

2: New hires get introduced to you and are put under your tutelage. This is a big responsibility for sure – both management and leadership are trying to ensure that the future leaders are mentored by the right person. What could be more rewarding than seeing your philosophies and knowhow spread its wings within the company, and possibly beyond. When supervising others, you treat them as equal humans and not act as their “boss.”

3: You are ever willing to help others regardless of the functional silo they operate in. For you – it is about your profession, integrity, and ensuring success for all. You look beyond the petty territorial boundaries and fiefdoms that come to be in most organizations. This may even arrows being shot at you – but you ignore them with grace and stay true to your principles.

4: Your aim is not to build an empire, rather, do everything you can to move the organization forward. To that end – your efforts are not focused on acquiring more budget centers or keep expanding your team. On the other hand, the leadership sees you as capable and opens doors for you by bringing more opportunities your way. This may manifest as wider responsibilities and increased spending powers. It is possible that internal politics or other reasons may prevent this from happening, however that does not perturb you.

5: Situations where conflict arises, or where you have to compromise, you stand your ground – being assertive, not aggressive, then continue to deal with the parties in an amiable manner with parties involved to resolve the conflict. You know how to balance business needs with regulatory and compliance requirements.

These five are a sample from several that exist; I invite you to share ones you have observed.

Thanks for reading.

Rai Chowdhary