Have you been told throughout your life that you’re a natural born leader? Do people tend to gravitate towards you for advice and guidance, and do you often find yourself stepping up to the plate to lead the way in whatever you’re doing- even if you didn’t set out to do so? Not everyone has leadership qualities, and so if you do then why not put them to their best use? Here are a few careers that will make great use of your skills.
Teacher
The best teachers will really captivate their students. Their passion for their subject will be so contageous that their pupils won’t be able to help but to get excited too. Teachers inspire new ideas and teach knowlegde to the next generation, an incredibly rewarding job to have. Teachers need to be able to keep their class under control, but that requires more than just shouting and inciting fear. They need to be able to connect with them, get on their level and generally be a strong leader that they will look up to and naturally respect their authority. You need to promote focus and ensure you’re keeping students attention, it’s not an easy job at all but would suit someone who has inbuilt leadership skills.
Life coach
There are lots of reasons why someone would hire a life coach, but most often it’s because they’re unsure of themselves. They’re lacking direction and need advice and guidance. If you’re a strong leader that people naturally gravitate too and feel comfortable trusting then this could well be your calling. Don’t expect that you’ll know all the answers and have all of the skills right away, as with any kind of career you’ll need training and experience. But leadership qualities make a really strong starting point, a foundation you can build upon. This is generally something that can’t be taught, so you’re already one step ahead of many others embarking on the same journey.
Manager
We’ve all had good and bad managers within our careers, and it’s easy to spot the difference between the two. Bad managers tend to lack in communication skills, they’re unapproachable and make us feel uncomfortable going to them with a problem. Perhaps they’re too dismissive, or are prone to getting angry. They use disciplinary measures inappropriately and in the worst cases can bully or intimidate employees. Good bosses are those that you connect with on a professional level. You feel comfortable highlighting any issues to, or going to them with problems that affect your work. They don’t micromanage, and have faith in the abilities of their team without feeling the need to control every little detail. One thing that most great bosses have in common is that they’re natural leaders, people are happy to take orders and directions because they go about things in the right way.
Police work
A career in the police of course involves climbing a ladder, a heirachy. In the beginning, you’ll be the one taking orders rather than giving them, and so you need to be just as good of a follower as you are a leader. You should respect the person that’s in charge without trying to take over. As you move through the ranks, you’ll earn more responsibility and this is when your leadership skills will come into their own. So while it’s not a career you’ll be able to put these qualities to use in right away, later down the line you’ll have plenty of opportunity to demonstrate them. Police work is incredibly rewarding, great for logical individuals that are a stickler for rules, and get satisfaction out of helping others.
Business owner
If you like the idea of being the boss, but want to work for yourself then why not start up your own company? While it’s a true test of your leadership skills (as you’ll be starting something up from scratch) it can actually be easier than a managers job in many ways. This is because you’ll be responsible for choosing your employees, you can pick people that you know you’ll mesh well with and will follow your instruction. You choosing means you can avoid personalities clashing, which can often happen in the workplace. Be sure to interview your candidates carefully, don’t be afraid to conduct second or even third interviews if needed. Hire people on a trial period so you can see what they’re like in a work environment and not just when they’re in an interview and presenting themselves in a certain way. While skills and experience are important, they’re not the only thing you need to look for; you need to know that the people you hire are going to work well with you. Setting up a business is a huge venture, but is something that could genuinely change your life for the better. Once you’ve come up with your idea and run your market research, have a WordPress web design company build your site and find an experienced app designer. Find suitable premises, purchase equipment and hire your staff. It’s not just managing people where your leadership qualities will come into their own. It’s having faith in your own abilities, the confidence to make the right decisions and negotiation skills to get you the best prices. All things which will come incredibly useful when you’re starting up your own company.
As with anything in life, if we work with our natural skillset and interests, things can come a lot easier to us. From our hobbies to our careers, even our friends and relationships. Knowing who you are as a person, and basing decisions in your life around what suits you personally is a fast track way to achieving happiness.
Are you a natural born leader? What kind of career are you in- or would you most like to get into?
