When people think of being a leader, they often think of being in charge or telling others what to do. The truth is, however, that the best leaders view leadership as just as much an obligation as it is a privilege.
At its heart, good leadership is really more of a position of service to a team rather than one of making demands. In fact, good leaders are generally willing to make any number of sacrifices for the sake of the teams they lead. Here are four specific sacrifices leaders must learn to make for their teams.
- Your Time
Leadership is an investment that you make in others, and one of the biggest investments you will make is an investment of your time. Your priorities will regularly need to take a back seat to the needs of your team. One of the biggest challenges of leadership is to be available when your team needs you – on their schedules rather than on your own.
- The Spotlight
As a leader, you will want to support and encourage your team. Their victories will become your victories, but that does not mean you should take sole credit for them. The more you let your team take the glory for victories, the more effective you will find yourself becoming as a leader, encouraging their growth and success.
- Control
There is no doubt that all leaders have a certain way they like things to be done. More often than not, it is the way that works best for the leader him or herself. The truth is, however, there is no one correct way to do almost anything. The more leaders allow their teams to find ways of doing things that work best for them, the more effective the team is likely to be as a whole.
- Power
While most people may not admit it, a desire for power and control may be one of the strongest motivating factors for most people that actually seek out leadership positions. In truth, however, leadership is about empowering others, not yourself. The only way to empower others is to cede your own power to them (not all, of course). To be an effective leader, you have to be willing to give up power rather than seeking to solely possess it.
