What It Really Means to Be a Leader: In the Real World

What does it really mean to be a leader? The list is endless, as according to me, the very definition of a leader is subjective. Regardless of the profession you are in, anyone and any creative individual can be a leader, as long as they learn how to fully harness their full potential in an environment, where talented individuals are ignored. Not that I claim to be a know-it-all when it comes to expressing leadership qualities in the business sector, I can definitely assure you that in some way or the other, I can define what it means to me to lead by example and why it’s vital for you to practice on what you preach.

1) Sticking to the ones who are popular

I have seen far too many people who only resort to the talents who are more popular and still lack creativity in certain areas of expectations from the sources they are affiliated with, in contrast to potential talents who are on the lookout for someone to try taking a chance on them. Imagine having a business of your own, and you know deep down it isn’t going anywhere. Your call to help is answered by a lesser known talent who explains to you in great detail what more you, as the company, can potentially do in generating more traffic and revenue. But to maintain the reputation of your ego, you end up turning a blind eye to the individual because you aren’t ready to accept what he/she has to say. 

With that being said, how do you expect more growth? How do you expect the change to reflect in your outer reality, if you aren’t willing to listen to the people around you who truly want to see you succeed? First listen to what your team has to say. Then figure out what the best approach would be, should you end up considering it. The whole ‘it’s tough out there in the real world’ talk is over. It doesn’t have to be tough when in fact, you can make it a place where creativity of all kinds in terms of thinking, is welcome. Especially when it comes to welcoming new talent. 

It doesn’t make sense, when you show that you are welcome to hearing from potential talents and yet you don’t give them a response electronically. So what makes you think that you have the audacity to call yourself a so-called leader? 

2) We don’t have the Finances 

A common excuse that no one should ever fall for. Saying that ‘We don’t have the finances’ towards a potential talent, who is keen to express their interest in working with you, only means that you, as the recruiter disguised as a faux-pas of a leader, indicates that you don’t want to hire them, hence you are letting them down easily. I for one think, it is an act of complete cowardice. If you are someone who preaches a whole lot about change and the importance of being inclusive towards talent of all kinds, then why bother bringing up that excuse in the first place? If you have the money to travel the world either for leisure activities or to give speeches on your so-called success story, it means that you surely do have the finances to take someone in to be a part of your team and ensure that they succeed and make your organization more than what it is that you and your people see it as today. 

A leader is someone who will take in a talent under their wing, see them succeed in every step along the way and watch them grow into a leader that no-one can ever trifle with. Excuses, excuses and even more excuses that won’t land you anywhere. The only reason you don’t have the finances to include someone in your team is because 1) You are scared to see them succeed and 2) You find their expertise and budding knowledge with creativity intimidating. 

No matter how big or small of a company you are, it’s time you stop pretending and start being true to yourself and include potential talent to join your team. 

3) Underestimating the value of talent

Through concise, engaging, and captivating talent, you will not only generate more success but further raise your brand’s awareness and simultaneously satisfy every need of your customers, all through the power that your talented employees hold. It doesn’t matter if you have a team and yet they still can’t deliver exceptional results and experiences that come with it. How do you expect growth in revenue and sales, if your upgraded talent can’t do the trick? Including new talent is a significant factor in attracting and engaging customers, as the copy plays a pivotal role in answering the audience’s question, which in turn builds trust, develops strong relationships and generates more leads. 

4) Empathy doesn’t make you a weaker person. 

There’s a difference between being insolent and being critically inspiring. Leaders understand and empathize with their employees and the talents they work with. It’s how they inspire their team to enjoy the environment that they are in towards a common purpose and goal. By listening and sharing their admiration for their teams, leaders impart a sense of significance and value. When leaders make it their priority to see the people around them grow, they can empower their team to see their inner potential and fully embrace it, while seeing the vision for themselves and act towards its achievement.