So you want to be a leader?

It is impossible to define a perfect leader; leaders come in all shapes, sizes and styles. The world is filled with a beautiful continuum of diversity, so it should be no surprise that there is no golden decree when it comes to great leadership.

The business world has spent enormous amounts of time and money trying to develop programs to train leaders. They will tell you that being an extrovert, using a direct approach and having tough business sense are the qualities of an excellent leader. But is this actually true? Maybe in the business world it can make you successful. Does success in business equal success in life? Not for me it doesn’t, but in society, status is considered important to some people. I would never choose money over my family and friends.

For instance, say you start a small family business. Your family and friends work tirelessly to make it successful and, after a lot of hard work, you begin to succeed. In order to expand and grow your business you need to hire management staff that have experience in those areas. At this point, your business has outgrown the utility of your family and friends. The direction you take the business may alienate the people that you began it with. I think there is definitely a solution to this problem and all it takes are some simple basics of human nature by treating people right.

A great leader treats people with respect, listens to what they have to say and values them.

Can you remember a time that you had a bad experience with a person who did these 3 things? I sure can’t. Is this all that goes into being a great leader? Probably not, but if you can do these three things well, I assure you that you will go far in life. I believe that in the right situation and environment, everybody can excel. Inside us all, there’s a hero to discover. Anyone can be a leader: introverts, the physically disabled, the socially awkward and anyone who doesn’t think they fit the traditional mold of prominent leadership qualities.

As I get older, I truly appreciate the people that have been in my life. There is a real possibility in the next couple years that I may leave for medical school and might never come back. That sounds ominous, but you never know where following your dreams will take you. It will be my responsibility to make sure the people that I may not get to see know that I care about them and have not forgotten about them. This will definitely be hard for me as I’m not the best communicator with my friends and family. I will never forget where I came from and any success I have will be a result of the people who cared about and supported me from the beginning. If I make it big, I plan to eat with the people I starved with.

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If you’re interested in some reading on how to become a better leader or a better person in general, I would check out  How to win friends and influence people, by Dale Carnegie. The title is not indicative of the content in the book. I wish he would have named it something else because I feel the title sounds like manipulating people to get your way. Actually, the book is about simple rules to treating people better.

This book changed my life. It was written in 1936 but all of the content is still relevant. I discovered this book by checking out an old bookshelf in my mom’s house and thinking, “Who would have the audacity to name a book, How to win friends and influence people?” I thought, he may as well have named it “How to manipulate idiots.” Boy, was I wrong about this book. What’s that old cliché? Don’t judge a leader by his cover?