11 Habits Of People Who Are Leaders

Some of us are born leaders, but for others of us, taking control of a situation and guiding the way sounds intimidating and scary. It's hard not to envy those who can lead naturally, but if we take a look at the habits of people who are leaders, we too can take on these qualities by emulating how these people in charge behave. Whether you want to step up your game at work, are trying to be more assertive with your friends, or you just want to be at the forefront of more of the action, you too can be a leader if you start adapting some new habits into your life.

"Leaders are definitely made, not born," says Christy Wright, certified business and life coach, over email. "Leadership is a skill set learned, acquired and developed over time. The great news about that is anyone can be a leader if they choose to be."

A good way to take on these qualities and to spend time around people you admire and who hold these leadership roles, but if you're not quite sure what makes them such pioneers, you'll want to start studying their behavior. If you're trying to be less passive and more active in any area of your life, consider these 11 habits of people who are good leaders.

1. They Show Respect

"All people should be treated with dignity and respect, and this is something leaders understand," says Wright. “'Do to others as you would have them do to you,' is a 2,000- year-old phrase that some of the greatest leaders of our time, like Richard Branson, J.C. Penney and Mary Kay Ash, have built their organizations on. These leaders believe that when you take care of people, everything else will fall into place.

2. They Make Decisions

"Being a leader calls for the ability to make decisions — quick decisions at that," says mindset coach Alyce Pilgrim over email. "Natural leaders are strong decision makers. They also have the ability to change course and be flexible if they see that what they chose is not working out as planned."

3. They Take Responsibility

"Leaders realize they are responsible for their actions, performance, communication, and their results," says Pilgrim. "They also take responsibility for their team's performance. They don't assign blame to others for things not working out."

4. They Communicate

"Leaders have great communication skills," says Pilgrim. "They are naturally able to share what they have to say in a way that connects strongly to the hearts and minds of others. They communicate with passion and confidence."

5. They Honor Their Time

"What separates great leaders from others is the ability to say 'no,'” says Wright. "A great leader is intentional with their time. They are proactive instead of reactive, they maximize their time by efficiently filling it with things they decide are important, and they don’t let themselves become maxed out with no room to spare."

6. They Take Risks

"Leaders realize there is no failure, only feedback," says Wright. "How we handle setbacks has a great influence on how we then succeed."

7. They Are Confident But Not Arrogant

"Natural leaders are confident in themselves and their abilities," says Pilgrim. "They are confident, but not cocky or arrogant. People are naturally drawn to them."

8. They Make Their Goals Clear

"Leaders make it a habit of knowing what they want," says Pilgrim. "They are purposeful with what they do and work towards achieving a goal. They have a clear plan and work towards it."

9. They Trust Their Intuition

"A leader has great intuition and uses it," says life coach Keisha Gallegos over email. "All great leaders talk about following their gut and listening to the whispers of their heart. They must follow the strength of their convictions, but trust their intuition to guide the way."

10. They Empower Others

"A leader empowers others to do what they are best at," says Gallegos. "They understand their team's strengths and weaknesses, and put the right person in the right role."

11. They Surround Themselves With Good People

"Not only do successful leaders build great teams, but they also surround themselves with other leaders who are more experienced and more knowledgeable," says Wright. "They show humility and step out of their comfort zone to learn and constantly improve."

Even if it doesn't come natural to you, the more you take on these habits, the more people will start to regard you as a reliable and likable lider.

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