Most leadership advice focuses on how to get people to do things—how to influence, persuade, or motivate. But the best leaders don’t start there. Instead of trying to get people to follow them, they become the type of person others want to follow.
Great leadership isn’t about authority, control, or even inspiration. It’s about connection—understanding what truly drives people and creating an environment where they naturally want to contribute.
1. Help People Feel Like They Belong
People don’t follow orders; they follow relationships. If you want people to give their best, start by making sure they feel valued. That means:
- Acknowledging their contributions. People need to know their work matters.
- Creating an environment of trust where they feel safe to share ideas.
- Recognizing effort, not just results. Appreciation fuels engagement.
When people feel like they belong, they invest themselves fully—not because they have to, but because they want to.
2. Find the Vision Overlap
Most leaders push their vision onto others, but real leadership happens when you align your vision with theirs. Ask yourself:
- What do they care about?
- What are their goals, dreams, and motivations?
- How does their personal vision align with the mission of the team?
When you find this sweet spot—the place where their vision and your vision overlap—you unlock an entirely new level of engagement. Work stops feeling like an obligation and starts feeling like a mission.
3. Manage Yourself So You Can Lead Consistently
Your ability to lead is only as strong as your ability to manage yourself. Leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about showing up consistently for your team. That means:
- Keeping your emotions in check, especially under pressure.
- Setting the standard through your own work ethic and discipline.
- Staying committed to personal growth so you can lead from a place of strength.
If you’re unpredictable, reactive, or inconsistent, people won’t trust you enough to follow. Stability builds credibility.
Leadership Isn’t About You—It’s About Them
When you stop trying to lead and start focusing on becoming the type of person others want to follow, everything changes. Your influence grows naturally. Your team engages deeply. And instead of pushing people to do things, you’ll find them choosing to be a part of something bigger.
So, where do you start? Look around. Who in your life needs to feel seen, valued, and understood today? Begin there.
If you want to take a deeper dive, my book just released this week and it’s available on Amazon: How to Become a Leader People Love: And Inspire Them to Run Through Walls.
