Do you have what it takes to lead?
Being a leader isn’t just about being in the spotlight. It holds serious responsibilities and impacts people’s lives in more ways than one.
Holding a leadership title and the responsibilities that come along with it is something to be proud of. It’s a badge of honour and privilege to lead people into prosperous times.
A good leader can make real change often without consciously realizing they’re in a leadership position. You may even be a role model for someone right now without realizing it.
How will you know you’re a leader? Look out for some telltale signs and at the end, take our quiz and find out what type of leader you are.
Compassion
It’s hard to lead when you don’t have the fundamentals. Showing care, compassion and empathy are the building blocks that make a leader great.
If you’re consistently showing consideration for others, putting yourself in their shoes and being genuinely courteous as if it were second nature, then you’ll make a beloved leader.
Decisiveness
No leader truly succeeds unless something is being done. IGNITE takes decision-making to the forefront, providing students with financial relief, health and dental plans, free food and menstrual products, among others.
None of these amenities would exist without strong student leaders making decisions. Having a vision and taking action despite the many barriers you may face is a sign of a resilient leader who will stop at nothing to get the job done. Some may call it stubbornness, but every person who’s willing to make concrete change for the better has to have a bit of stubbornness in them. Know what you want and go out and get it.
Strong values
It’s up to someone with strong values to know what the people want and how to give it to them. To know when to have a discussion and compromise and when to put their foot down to uphold what the people want.
If this trait were a Hogwarts house, it would easily be Gryffindor. If you have the courage to stand up for what your morals are, the right place to put it into practice would be in a leadership position.
Communication
The ability to speak isn’t just for salespeople. To inspire, to vocalize concerns and to help others cannot be done without effective dialogue. Communication isn’t just about talking. It’s also about active listening, understanding and using critical thinking skills to find a compromise everyone is happy with.
If you’re a good communicator, mediation and collaboration come seamlessly. You’re able to convey a message and receive it just as easily, and then come to an understanding using all the information given.
We all have a leader within us. Each person possesses these qualities to varying degrees, and there is no better place to put them to the test and become the leader the school needs than by nominating yourself for IGNITE’s Board of Directors.
Learn more about the nomination requirements and gather your signatures by Jan. 26 to be the next decision-maker at Humber Polytechnic and the University of Guelph-Humber.
Now that you know the signs that make you a leader, take our quiz and find out what type of leader you are!
Feature photo by IGNITE
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