Being a good leader isn't just about knowing how to lead others and boss them around. There are so many factors that go into being an effective leader and ultimately a good example to those who look up to you. All of the things that go into being a leader can also be applied to every other area in life.
There is so much more that goes into being a leader than what's on the surface. Psychology and neuroscience are two areas that don't seem like they would connect with leadership but ultimately do. There are many advantages to knowing people and studying the way they think and work. Neuroscience has a lot to do with change and the way that humans deal with it. Being a good leader and a good example includes being able to effectively initiate and deal with change. In order to do this, trust needs to be established as well.
In relation to change, there are many barriers, including fear and anxiety, that need to be taken into account. Change can make people feel isolated and alone and feel as though they have to give something up. The most difficult thing about change is that when the pressure to change is finally off, most people revert back to the way things were before. In order to effectively lead, those fears need to be diminished, and this is ultimately done through trust. In order to establish trust with those who are looking up to you, there needs to be a sense of vulnerability, honesty, authenticity, knowledge, skill and humility.
Another thing to keep in mind is that effective leaders aren't necessarily above those who they lead. Leaders are there to help a group of people deal with change and move along day-by-day. This includes effectively dealing with conflict and being able to emotionally connect to those around you. Constructive criticism is a thing, just as constructive conflict is. Learning how to constructively deal with conflict is a very useful tool in all areas of life, as conflict is unavoidable. By being able to transfer conflict into something constructive, conflicts can be dealt with in a better and more effective way and ultimately help build people up rather than tear them down.
Along with focusing on constructive conflict, having emotional intelligence is a very important attribute of a leader. Knowing how to deal with difficult situations where people have high emotions (such as being fired, or other things along those lines), requires a great deal of empathy. However, you also have to know how much or little emotion should go into a situation since sometimes the logical choice is better than the emotional one in the end.
All of these things are what make up a good leader, and they're all things that any one of us could implement into our own lives regardless of if we're an established leader or not. There is always someone who is looking up to us, whether it's a younger sibling, friend or co-worker, and all of these qualities would be worth the time to improve and work on.
