Becoming a Leader: It Starts with You

Leadership is not something we learn today, practice tomorrow, and see results the next day. It is a continuous process of earning trust, inspiring others, and guiding them toward shared success. True leadership is not about power or control—it's about influence, vision, and freedom. People should choose to follow a leader because they believe in the journey, not because they are forced to obey. In this blog, I will explore what leadership truly means, why it's important, how to become a good leader, and how I am developing my own leadership skills through experience and self-awareness.

What is the true meaning of leadership?

True leadership means earning trust and inspiring others. It is not just a skill, but a continuous process of making people believe that the person they follow will lead them to positive outcomes and success. For example, if you are chosen to lead a project in a company, your responsibility is to guide and motivate your team, meet the deadlines, and deliver good results. If you succeed, you gain the trust of your colleagues and supervisors, which can lead to more leadership opportunities or even promotions. However, if you fail, your leadership abilities may be questioned, and you might lose that role.

Successful leaders are found in every field—Elon Musk and Mukesh Ambani in business, Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli in sports, and figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, and Narendra Modi in politics. Leadership is not about gaining power or dominating others. Some mistakenly believe a leader must be aggressive or rude, but great leaders are calm, decisive, kind, and trustworthy. They are emotionally strong, disciplined, focused, and confident. Leadership is about serving others, creating a shared vision, and helping people grow—both individually and as a team.

Why is it important to become a good leader?

In group tasks or projects, it's essential to have someone who can motivate others, provide guidance, and drive the team toward strong results. That person is called a leader. A good leader earns respect, trust, career opportunities, and even financial rewards by consistently delivering results and inspiring others. For example, if the Indian cricket board appoints Shubman Gill as the Test captain and he performs well, leads the team effectively, and wins trophies, he will win the hearts of fans and the trust of the board—opening up more opportunities for his career.

Success often depends on your ability to influence and lead others. People won’t follow someone they don’t trust or believe in. That’s why leadership skills are critical. Take Elon Musk, for example—he may have started alone, but over time, his leadership earned people’s trust. That trust helped him build teams and companies like Tesla and SpaceX. If he had failed to gain trust, success would’ve been much harder.

Strong leaders achieve more than just personal goals—they inspire others and create lasting impact. But many people don’t know how to become a good leader. That’s why learning and developing leadership skills is so important.

How to become a good leader?

As we discussed earlier, becoming a good leader starts with building trust among your team. To earn trust, you must show commitment through your actions and deliver positive outcomes. For example, if you're assigned as the leader of a project in your company, it's your responsibility to manage the team effectively. This includes assigning clear roles, guiding each member, monitoring their progress, and ensuring that everyone stays on track. If you successfully lead the team to achieve excellent results within the deadline, you'll earn respect from your team members, appreciation from your boss, and possibly future opportunities.

Many successful leaders have shared their experiences, and learning from their stories can help you develop leadership skills. You can explore books, YouTube videos, and podcasts focused on leadership. It's also important to understand what truly defines good leadership. A good leader should avoid being overly aggressive or toxic. Instead, they should be calm, kind, disciplined, respectful, emotionally strong, confident, and focused. They should also have a growth mindset and be good decision-makers. By developing these traits, you can become not only a good leader but also an inspiring one.

How am I developing my leadership skills?

In my previous blog, I shared how I’m developing qualities like discipline, a growth mindset, focus, emotional strength, and confidence. In addition to that, I regularly watch YouTube videos and listen to podcasts to improve my leadership skills. I’ve also started reading leadership books like Leaders Eat Last, which offers valuable insights into how great leaders think and act. Whenever possible, I look for opportunities to take on leadership roles in areas I’m passionate about. I believe it’s important to lead in fields you genuinely enjoy, because taking responsibility in a place you dislike can make leadership feel forced and uninteresting.

I also learn from the stories of successful leaders—how they earned people’s trust and guided their teams through challenges. One important thing I’ve realized is that leadership is not something you learn today and master tomorrow. It’s a long-term process of gaining people's belief and trust through consistent actions. Right now, I’m focusing on my purpose, because I’ve learned that to gain trust, you must first achieve your own goals. I always put my purpose above everything else, and I believe that once you succeed in your purpose, people naturally begin to trust and follow you. 

In conclusion, true leadership is not about authority, but about earning trust and guiding others toward success. Becoming a good leader takes time, patience, self-belief, and a genuine commitment to growth. Through my experiences, continuous learning, and dedication to self-improvement, I strive to embody the qualities of a strong leader every day. Leadership is a journey, not a destination, and I hope this blog has inspired you to reflect on your own path. Thank you for reading—keep believing in yourself, keep learning, and keep growing. The world needs more thoughtful, courageous, and authentic leaders like you.

If this blog inspired you, share it with someone who’s ready to step into true leadership too!