“What’s the difference between a king and his horse? I don’t mean kiddy shit like “One’s a person and one’s an animal” or “One has two legs and one has four.” If their  form, ability, and power were exactly the same, why is it that one becomes the king and controls the battle, while the other becomes the horse and carries the king?! There’s only one answer. Instinct!​” – ​Bleach​, Tite Kubo

Every company in the world wants to hire only two kinds of employees – ones with the ability to lead, and others to follow them.

Kings, and horses – so that there is a clear structure to the company.

Does that mean that leadership instinct is a natural quality in a select few? In my experience, no!

Leadership is about honing your instincts and sharpening them to the point where you instinctively know what to do when a situation arises.

So, how do you become the king and stop being the horse?

These 5 leadership tips will help you sharpen your instincts and be a more effective leader:

Take the Blame, Share the Glory

The first knee-jerk reaction when things go sideways is to shift the blame and grab the glory. Nothing to be ashamed of, it is only human. But if you do that as a leader, then no one is EVER going to respect you or follow you.

You have to turn off that snide voice inside your head that says, “Do it!”

If things go wrong in your plan, then you need to accept your responsibility and take the blame. Even if it really isn’t, do it.

Why? Short answer – you become instantly seen as a figure of authority. The courage to stand up to your mistakes will make people want to do the same and rectify the situation.

At the same time, you have to pass your triumphs on to your subordinates.

The only way to climb one rung higher on the ladder is to have someone else ready to take your place. Push your employees and associates higher, and they will return the favor. Pull them down, and they will shirk their responsibilities when you need them the most.

Always Stay Centered

Staying centered and calm is one of the most admirable qualities of a leader. A leader who is prone to panic is never going to be respected by their colleagues.

Situations arise. In the immortal words of Batman, “Deal with it!”

When you panic, you give in to fear and insecurity – the two greatest detriments to rational thinking. The worst bit? You will project that onto your colleagues, and absolute chaos will ensue.

Staying centered is a valuable lesson that experience will teach you. Maybe this blog will speed up the process!

Have a Definite Vision

Whether you are in a management job or heading up your own company – you need to have a definite vision.

Shooting in the dark and simply doing things at random is a surefire way to lose a lot of money and have nothing to show for it.

Have your next five, maybe ten years planned ahead of time. This way, every year, you can keep inching towards a single, focused goal instead of meandering. Also, clients trust a person in charge who knows the exact outcome of their plan.

People working under your wing will greatly appreciate you too for helping them find a place where they belong.

Measure Your Daily Performance

This tip builds on the last one. If you know exactly where you want to go, chalk out a roadmap with milestones. This way, you get to know exactly how far or near you are to achieving your goals. All employees in any decent company record their daily performance so that the management can review it.

The stupidest mistake you can make is to think that you are above such things just because you are in charge.

“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” ​(Who will guard the guards?) – ​Satires​, Juvenal

Benchmarking your performance is how you keep growing. Have your superiors or peers critique your work. A good leader thrives on constructive criticism. Be humble enough to take it when it is given.

Be Part of Something More than a Paycheck

Money is not the most important thing in your life. You need to be part of something much bigger than a paycheck if you want to lead.

Does this sound a bit cliched? That’s probably because you have heard this a thousand times before from different thought leaders.

Here’s a question – if you HAVE heard it before, then why is your paycheck still so important to you?

Let me let you in on a little secret. Do you know why the famous business consultants that charge $5,000 an hour can charge as much?

It’s not their experience or skill that they charge for. They charge you for their time. The reason why the top consultants can charge that much for their time is that they care about far more than a simple paycheck.

Rise. Rinse. Repeat.

And be a king!

Wrapping Up

These five tips will help you become a more rounded leader. Which of these tips did you like the most? Which of these have you used before? Let us know so that we can create more awesome content for you!

I want to thank the author of this post, Nirvana Guha, the CEO of SEO Elixir. If you need a crafty digital marketer, he’s your man.

Who is SEO Elixir? 

“We are a Digital Marketing Agency in India that offers custom Digital Marketing Solutions. At SEO Elixir, we focus on the individual needs of your business.
No matter how big or small your business needs are, we can help you out.” To learn what SEO Elixir can do for you click here,  SEO Elixir

How Can I help? 

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

Does your business have a  management training plan? Many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program.