How to Be a Good Leader

Co-authored by Maureen Taylor

Last Updated: November 10, 2022 References Approved

Good leaders must be good role models, knowledgeable in their fields, and worthy of respect. There are many ways to lead, whether it's by taking on a leadership role at work, or being the captain of your sports team. Here are some tips to help you excel as a leader in any situation in life.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Leadership in a Business Environment

1
Be a good role model. To earn respect, it's important to show that you know your stuff. People will respect and listen to you, if they know you are knowledgeable in your field.^{[1]
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- Discuss your experience. Without showing off, let your employees understand how long you've been in the business and what you have achieved while you were there. Not only will they have a better understanding of why you're sitting in the boss' chair, but they'll be more excited to be a part of your team and will admire you.
- Act professionally. Though you may be the boss, you should still be cordial to all of your employees. You should also still meet the basic standards of professionalism such as; dressing appropriately, coming to work and meetings on time, and communicating in a professional manner.
2
Be clear about your rules and expectations. Whether you're the CEO of a company or the manager of a team of four people, it's important to make your expectations "crystal" clear from the beginning.^{[2]
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Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
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- Have a Code of Conduct or an Expectation Notice that you can point to which shows employees how to act. Give feedback based on their work, and relate it with your Code of Conduct.
- If you're working on a project, your goals and expectations should be clear from the beginning. Then your employees will be more motivated and not confused. It is preferable to have your goals down in written form.
- Don't change your instructions in the middle of a project. Though some adjustments in the workplace are necessary, it's important to not only be clear about your expectations, but to also be consistent. If you change your mind about what you want halfway through a meeting, your employees may not take you seriously, or they might be frustrated.
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3
Leave room for input. Though it's important to be firm, you should still leave some room for the considerations of others. This way you won't look like a dictator. Also, there's a lot you can learn from your employees, which might help your business thrive.^{[3]
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- Ask for feedback. It's important to ask for feedback after you've wrapped up a project, set up guidelines during a meeting, or you have thrown a charity event. You can do this without scaring your employees. Simply ask through email, or send an anonymous survey to them.
- Ask for opinions in a face-to-face situations. At the end of a meeting, you can casually ask if people have any questions or opinions. This will give your employees time to consider what they're working on. You may also pull individual employees aside, or invite them to your office, to discuss the project further. Tell them that their perspective is crucial to your success.
4
Reward employees for good behavior. To be a good leader, you need to maintain high team morale, and to motivate employees to achieve their goals in a timely manner. Also, make your rewards desirable and fun!^{[4]
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- Give praise regularly highly engaged employees get praise every week from their leader
- Have a monthly team dinner to celebrate a completed goal. This will be, not only delicious, but a fun way to bond with your colleagues and to motivate them to achieve goals in a timely manner.
- Give individual "shout outs" when necessary. If one of your employees accomplished something incredible, there's no harm in announcing his or her achievements through an email or at a meeting. Though this may make him or her blush, he or she will see that you're paying attention to his or her hard work.^{[5]
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- Reward your hard workers with prizes. A prize, whether it's the latest technological gadget or just a pair of free movie tickets, can give your employees the incentive they need to work hard, and will make them think you're a cool boss.
5
Be liked. Though it's important for your workers to respect you most of all, it couldn't hurt for them to think you're a person who is worth spending time with. This will make them more excited to work for you and to have you as their leader! Here are some ways to make sure you are liked:^{[6]
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- Admit your mistakes. You aren't perfect, and occasionally showing that you could have planned something differently will show that you are only human and will make people respect you more. Of course, you can avoid always admitting that you've made a mistake, because you want to look like you know what the heck you're doing.
- Share the occasional personal story. You don't have to be best friends with your employees, but talking about your family, or your background, can make them open up to you and see you as a person.
- Be consistent in your interactions. If you're very friendly during group meetings, but chilly when you pass an employee in the hall, your workers may get mixed signals and may not like you very much. It's important to be cordial at all times--not just during the important ones.
- At the same time, don't be too chatty or social with your employees. It's healthy to make friends in the workplace, but if all you're doing is chatting everyone up at the watercooler, people may think you're more focused on gaining approval than being a good leader.
- Avoid romantic relationships in the workplace. This almost always ends badly and can lead you to lose everyone's respect, not to mention your job.^{[7]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Leadership in Sports

1
Demonstrate good sportsmanship at all times. Though you may be the captain of your sports team and a star athlete to boot, it's important to be humble and polite.
- If you're practicing with members of your own team, offer them encouragement. Instead of showing off and being mean when they make a misstep, show them how to improve their game and compliment them when appropriate.
- On game day, it's important to look your opponents in the eye, shake their hands, and to show that you're focused on the game, not whether or not the other team's point guard is a jerk. Even if you feel someone on the other team acted unfairly, take it up with your coach or a ref as the situation dictates, but avoid name calling and foul language.
- Lose with dignity. Leaders should be seen as mature - not as crybabies. If the other team kicked your butt, congratulate them without wincing. With your good attitude, you'll get another chance at them.
2
Remind your teammates of your skills. Though it's important not to call too much attention to yourself, don't be afraid to strut your stuff to let people know why you are the captain of your team.
- Help your coach demonstrate skills during drills. Your teammates will be impressed by how versatile and helpful you are.
- On game day, play your best. Don't slack off just because you're the captain--it's important to work your hardest on the court.
3
Show your love for teamwork. You're still part of a team and should work well with others. You were chosen to be a leader partly because of your ability to work with a diverse group of people.
- When you're huddling with your team or giving instructions, make sure to give everyone a chance to participate in the game. If you're dictating plays, don't revolve the entire game around your skills.
- Be helpful off the court. Help load equipment into your team bus, take attendance, and offer rides to any straggling team members. This will show that you care about working together on all aspects of the game, even it's just driving the freshman player to school so everyone can be a part of the game.
4
Be a good friend to your teammates. Though you should be respected first of all, being a team captain is more casual than being a boss, and you should make an effort to make friends so you can have fun while working hard.
- Be fun at team social events. Make sure to show up to team dinners and other social events first and to leave last. Show that you love being a leader of your team from start to finish. This will help you get to know your fellow players and to deepen your bond.
- Be friendly with all members of the team. Don't play favorites, and work to get to know everyone on your team, from the star player to the slowest member on the JV squad. This will show that you care about everyone who makes the team so unique and strong.
5
Be a united front with your coach. Though your teammates may criticize your coach, it's important to avoid this behavior to keep your team strong.
- Don't criticize your coach in front of your teammates. Though you may disagree with your coach's actions, you can talk to him about it. Discussing it with your team can make everyone angry, and can make your team fall apart for lack of strong leadership.
- Explain that your coach is looking out for your team's best interests. Show your teammates that your coach knows his stuff and should be trusted. This will keep your team strong and will make you look like a fair leader.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Leadership in the Classroom

1
Show your expertise in the subject matter. It's important for your students to know that they can trust you as an expert in your field.
- When you introduce yourself, tell them how many years you've been working in your field and what you have achieved there. Then they'll know you know your stuff.
- Tell them how long you've been teaching your course. If you've been teaching the same course twenty times, let them know, so they have a sense that you've created the best course possible. If you're new to the classroom, however, don't let your students know so they don't see you as a pushover.
2
Establish your rules on day one. Once the introductions are out of the way, it's important to let your students understand your expectations so they can meet them.
- Have a well-organized syllabus that shows them exactly what to expect from every day of the course. Answer any questions they have after you go over it, so you can clear up any confusion.
- Whether you're teaching children or adults, it's important to have a clear code of conduct, which shows not only your expectations, but the punishments if your students fail to meet them. Common code of conduct rules include showing mutual respect and avoiding disruptive behavior, such as using texting, talking on the phone, or whispering in the back of the classroom.
3
Have fair assessments. Whether you're giving a quiz or a final exam, it's important to make sure the assignment is fair and useful for your students. They will be better students after all of your hard work, and will thank you for being an understanding teacher and classroom leader.^{[8]
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- Have a study guide. Before an exam, tell your students what they can expect to be on it so they don't have any surprises on the day of the test.
- Provide sample problems. Give your students practice problems so their skills are sharp on the day of the test.
4
Be creative. To be a good classroom leader, you have to find new ways to introduce boring old material to your students. If you don't mix things up, your students will get bored and distracted and may even lose respect for you.
- Bring current events into class discussion. Even if you're not teaching a history class, you can find a way to bring up current events, whether it's something related to the government or sports, and tie them into your material. This will make your students feel that your discussion is relevant to the real world.
- Have unique activities that get your students moving and thinking. Allow your students to create their own paragraphs, board work, skits, or any other activity that may help them understand an old concept in a new way.
5
Show your students you care. To be a good classroom leader, you have to prove that you care about your students' success. Be kind and approachable in the classroom, so they respect you but aren't afraid to ask questions.
- Give good feedback on both written assignments as well as your students' in-class responses. This will show that you care about them on an individual level and want them to succeed.
- Thank them for a great class. On the last day of class, bring them a special treat, or write them a note to say how much you've enjoyed having them in the classroom. This will make your classroom experience end on a positive note and will show what a great leader you are.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Being the Head of Your Family

1
Establish yourself as an authority figure. Make it clear that you are the boss of your household, and that your rules should be followed.^{[9]
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- Demonstrate to your children that your elders should be respected at all times. If your parents play an active role in your life, you can show your children that you respect your parents, just as they should respect you.
- Tell your children to treat you with respect. You are a figure of authority and should be addressed and answered appropriately, even during tense situations.
2
Make clear rules. Your children should have a strong sense of your expectations. You should avoid being temperamental or unclear so that they know what you actually want.^{[10]
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
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- Establish expectations for chores. Your children should know what work is expected of them, whether it is to wash their own dishes, help set the table, or do yard work. Rotating chores can also help mix things up and to ensure that no one member of your household is stuck with the unpleasant tasks, such as cleaning your kitty's litter, every time.
- Establish expectations for appropriate behavior. Make it clear that you expect your children to avoid foul language, have dinner at the dinner table, and to maintain a positive attitude when possible. Repeating these rules and others early and often will show your children that you have clear rules for what is and is not acceptable in your home.
- Be consistent. Though certain rules may change as your children reach a specific age, be clear about general household expectations. Make sure your expectations are the same for every sibling, so you don't look like you're playing favorites.
3
Have a useful system of rewards and punishments. In order to be the head of your household, your children should be aware that they will be rewarded for good behavior and punished for not meeting your expectations.^{[11]
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- Have a reward for every occasion. If your child did well in school, passed a driver's test, kicked the winning goal in his soccer match, or reached an important milestone, such as a birthday, it's important to celebrate the occasion. Dinner at the restaurant of your child's choice, a trip to an amusement park or movie, or any other journey to your child's favorite destination, will help show that you care, and that you want him or her to keep succeeding.
- Have clear punishments to discourage bad behavior. The punishment of grounding, or not allowing your child to spend time with a friend or at a favorite event, can go a long way in motivating your child not to stay out past curfew, or to skip class. If your child is younger, then having a simple "time out" or keeping him or her from watching a favorite show will demonstrate that you mean business when it comes to breaking rules.
4
Be a united front with your co-pilot. If you and your spouse or significant other share the head of your household, make sure that your expectations are very similar.
- Avoid making important decisions, such as letting your daughter go to a slumber party at a new friend's house, without your significant other. If he or she doesn't agree with your choice, then he or she will look like the bad guy.
- Be both good cop and bad cop. Avoid having your children view one of their parents as the lenient one. Both of you should have similar expectations about what is and is not allowed.
5
Have fun with your family! Don't get so caught up in making rules that you forget to enjoy your precious time with your loved ones. Here are some tips for making sure there is more fun than rules in your household:
- Make time for family every week. Whether it's for cooking an Italian meal, watching a scary movie, or just having family board game night, it's important to carve out quality time for all the members of your family.
- Show your love and affection for your spouse and children. Though you may be an authority figure, you are also a mother or father, and it's important to tell your children how much you love them, to hug them, and to tell them they're special every single day.

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Expert Q&A

Question

What is the definition of a good leader?

Maureen Taylor
Public Speaking Expert
Maureen Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SNP Communications, a leadership communications company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been helping leaders, founders, and innovators in all sectors hone their messaging and delivery for almost 30 years, and has worked with leaders and teams at Google, Facebook, Airbnb, SAP, Salesforce, and Spotify.

Maureen Taylor

Public Speaking Expert

Expert Answer

Being a good leader comes down to how you treat people. A good leader motivates and inspires people to build something together.
Question

How can I be a good troop leader?

Community Answer

Treat your troop with respect and be careful not to be too bossy. If you feel your troop is getting out of control, quiet them down by raising two fingers and asking them to do the same, saying "One, two, three, eyes on me!", or by clapping three times and asking them to repeat it to come to order. This will cut down on yelling at the group.
Question

How can I be a good leader but not seem bossy?

Sinaisperez

Community Answer

Set a good example. Be respectful and use kind words to get them to listen to you. Try not to raise your voice, project confidence instead.

Warnings

Don't expect EVERYONE to follow you. There are some people out there that just aren't the following person. No matter how hard you try, you may not be able to reach everyone.

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You might get called names, such as bossy or pushy, no matter what you do to be fair. It's part of the game.

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