Leadership is not a matter of chance, it’s a matter of choice

Here are three things a leader must do to be a good leader: Direction, Focus and Motivation.

Leadership is not a matter of chance, it’s a matter of choice: Everybody at one point in their life has the chance to be a leader and lead a team of individuals, whether it is at work, in the community. Here are three things a leader must do to be a good leader: Direction, Focus, and Motivation.

The direction is the first guide to leadership, providing good direction will show the group what direction you are going. Provide good clear and precise direction for your team to meet your organizations’ goals. You have to be confident in your decisions and show your team that confidence that you believe in the direction they are going. As a leader, you create direction for your team and determine what needs to be focused on to achieve the goals that are put in place. Think of it like reading a road map, you have to determine where you are going to end up before you plan a trip to get there. Like Yogi Berra said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you might end up someplace else.”

Read more: The 4 Secrets of Leadership

The focus that is put into those tasks will direct your department or organization in the right direction. Focus is the second guide to leadership, this hinges on the kind of thoughts you think, so hold an image of the result you want and that image will become reality. Tell your team what tasks need to be focused on to meet the goal that will lead them in the right direction. Create a plan and start with the end in mind, determine where you want your organization to be, then work backward to create focal points that will lead your team towards that mark. Because like George Lucas says “Always remember, your focus determines your reality.”

Creating the “why” behind the direction is a key component to motivating your team. Motivating your team to focus on its goal can prove to be a challenge. One way to make it exciting and ‘pump up’ your team is to pair up is to focus on the purpose behind what you are trying to accomplish. Another way to instill motivation is to pair up people who have different skill sets, this can often time motivate each person to be better because each person can hold the other accountable for their tasks. The last key to motivating your team is to praise them for their efforts. Nobody likes to do a bunch of work and receive no recognition for it! With that said, praise individuals early and often for accomplishing goals that contribute towards the team’s direction. Walt Disney said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

In closing, to be a good leader in your organization/ department practice these three steps to leading a team. Give them a Direction to go, determine what to Focus on and Motivate them to get there!