Reiter Thinks

I don’t believe that leaders are born.  They are cultivated through their own experiences and guidance from peers and superiors.  A leader can come in many shapes and sizes.  Leadership is an evolving process, some say it is more art than science.  It is a journey that does not have a set path and can be very different for each person.  I do believe that anyone can be a leader.  Some may have an easier time than others but in my experience everyone can improve themselves and their leadership qualities.

Stand up and step out.

I taught military leadership for two and a half years at a small college in Ohio for the Army ROTC program a few years back.  It was a fantastic opportunity to interact with emerging leaders.  These students knew that they would soon be Army Officers so they soaked up as much information as they could in the class room each week.  One can only learn so much from the classroom though.  Leadership isn’t best learned through books but through experiences.  For the cadets, their leadership traits were cultivated in the mud, forest and frozen landscape of central Ohio during field exercises.

The field training consisted of military maneuvers and orders writing while under a strict time limit.  In order to properly complete the mini missions, the cadet, would have to apply the classroom knowledge of the given maneuver and orders production process.  They would also have the added stressor of an evaluator documenting everything they did and said from start to finish.  At the end of the  maneuvers they would be given a grade an overall grade of Not Satisfactory, Satisfactory or Outstanding.  Talk about a pressure cooker!

They only way to improve ones leadership skills are to practice leadership.  But what if you aren’t in a “position of leadership”?  That’s not a problem.  At its fundamental basis, leadership is leading people.  Peers can be leaders.  You don’t need a fancy title or a proclamation from some authority to be a leader.  You simply need to motivate people to follow your lead because they trust your judgment.

When the opportunity presents itself, raise your hand and take the reigns of a project or event.  Experience is a great teacher.  You might not have all the answers but that hardly matters.  You need to have the drive to seek out solutions.  The more you practice the more you’ll learn about yourself and your own leadership style.

Here are some leadership traits that I find to be most useful.

Be reliable. Be early and be where you say you are going to be.  You’d be surprised at how many people cannot do that.  Keep your emotions in check when events seem out of control.  Be reliable in what you say and do.  Be the one people can count on.

Be knowledgeable. You need to be knowledgeable about the tasks at hand but also know the people you are working with.  Know their strengths and weaknesses.  Without the people, you aren’t leading anyone.

Do what you say you are going to do. Hold those accountable to what they agree to do.

Delegate, follow-up and assist. When assigning tasks be sure to follow-up and see how they are going at designated and agreed upon times.  Do not hover around those who have been assigned a task.

These are just a few leadership traits and skills.  I’m sure I’ll write more on the topic in the future but for now, good luck.  Go raise your hand and volunteer to lead.