Leadership sometimes means tearing your chest up and rising your flaming heart as a lantern to light the way for your followers, like Danko from ‘Old Izergil’ did. It is a feat you can learn and bravery that can be trained. Of this, Alex Reinhardt, a serial entrepreneur, crypto technology expert, venture capitalist, business coach, the author of ‘YOU ARE NUMBER ONE. How to Become a Leader in 30 Days and Stay One Forever’, and creator of Alex Reinhardt Academy, is sure.
Leadership is a key prerequisite for success. As a business coach and the CEO of a leadership platform, I do believe it’s not something one possesses naturally or inherits from their parents but a result of hard work and lifelong practice.
According to the meaning of the word ‘to lead’, a true leader is someone who can ‘spark’ passion in people and take them on a journey, using their influencer’s status. A leader is an example to follow, encouraging people to do it of their own free will rather than ‘cracking their whip’ and ‘dragging’ them on, which is just tyranny and exploitation.
Leaders are those who can maintain their status at all times and in any situation, whether they are with their families, on their own, or around their friends, business partners, or competitors. Be it happy or sad times, ups or downs, leadership is their permanent role, keeping them afloat and helping them to be in control of their lives. This is a very important point, for leaders are responsible both for their own well-being and that of their loved ones, colleagues, and everybody else, following them, as they navigate their way through life.
True leadership means constant self-development, i.e., honing a sizable set of skills as well as exploring various strategies, tactics, and techniques. Leaders can foresee the future and come up with efficient ways to get from Point A to Point B, all the while making sure their teams are safe and sound. That’s why leaders must also be forward-thinking visionaries, bearing responsibility for the future and getting closer to their goals on a daily basis.
A must-have for true leaders is a devoted following – those willing to be by their side at all times, understanding their objectives, and seeing their final destination. To inspire people to follow them throughout their journey, leaders must be perfect motivational speakers, who, like well-trained athletes, can challenge the impossible and overcome any obstacles. However, sometimes things don’t go to plan, resulting in the so-called ‘accidental’ leadership. Uncomfortable or traumatising life experiences often make people leave their comfort zones, which becomes an impetus to overcoming their laziness to finally start acting. Having to fight for their lives and with their entire future at stake, one often has no other choice but become a really effective leader. This is a very common thing for single mothers or widows, having to pull themselves together for the sake of their children and themselves.
Here’s another example from my own experience. At one point, my ‘team’ abandoned me with loans to be paid on my own. I found myself in huge debt, facing the risk of my children taken away from me. Having only two options – either giving up, going bankrupt, and giving away my children, or trying to make as much money as possible within just a few months – I opted for the latter. As a result, my leadership potential surged, entailing a considerable professional growth.
As for big leaders, such as Martin Luther King, for example, they arise in troubled social contexts to become ‘the silver lining of the cloud’ and ‘the beacon of hope’ for those around them, thus gaining many followers. Obviously, the effective leader’s background is usually difficult, to say the least. Still, becoming a leader is possible for anyone who truly wants it. Although, mastering the leader’s skills is not the easiest of tasks, leadership can be learnt, improved, and effectively maintained. Leaders are not born but made, which is the main idea of my book ‘You Are Number One’, explaining the steps to the status.
Leadership is a very powerful skill, coming with a lot of responsibility. Once you have a considerable following, seeing you as their role model, you realise that now, you cannot afford stopping or giving up. Instead, you must keep moving, becoming even better organised and more forward- thinking than ever before. I do believe everyone can discover a leader deep inside themselves. Just continue your journey and appreciate the people following you all along the way!
