The Best Leaders Are Led: Allowing Yourself To Be Guided Makes You Better At Guiding 

The best leaders have many good qualities, follow certain rules, and always make connections with those they are leading. It’s hard to imagine that one of the rules leaders must follow is allowing themselves to be led.

Okay, so maybe it is not a rule, but it definitely improves the quality of leadership you offer. But aren’t leaders always supposed to be leading? How can they get anything done if they are waiting for others to show them the way?

Well, ‘being led’ in this context does not mean sitting around and waiting for others to come up with direction and ideas. You are still a leader, but you are not superhuman. You can’t always have the answers and strategies.

You probably have more experience than the people on your team. You’ve probably worked there the longest or seen the company through a crisis and come out the other side victorious. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you have all the correct answers because of these experiences.

But you don’t, at least not always. The best leaders recognize this and allow themselves to consider their team members’ perspectives, opinions, ideas, comments, and answers.

Yes, you call the shots, but you don’t always have to proceed with your idea, comment, or opinion. That’s what it means to be led as a leader.

And boy, is it rewarding! Check out the rest of the article to learn why the best leaders become better when they take some guidance. 

Benefits of Allowing Yourself To Be Led As A Leader

There are many benefits to allowing yourself to be led, even in a leadership position. The best leaders think of themselves as team members, embracing the benefits of sharing knowledge. Here are the positives you could enjoy from allowing yourself to be led:

Gain New Perspectives

Allowing yourself to be led by others provides new perspectives that can challenge your thinking. The best leaders understand that their ideas aren’t always the only or best way to achieve success. By listening to others and being open to their insights, you’ll gain new approaches to problems and opportunities.

There are some things that even you have not gone through that a team member may have invaluable insight into. So don’t let that role stop you from making the best decision, even if it did not come from you.

Improve Your Leadership Skills

Being led helps you develop as a leader. It is the whole point of allowing yourself to be led, but it is always worth mentioning. Learning from others who have more experience or different skills allows you to enhance your own leadership abilities.

For example, if you let a mentor guide you through difficult decisions, you learn how to handle similar situations on your own. The best leaders continuously improve by allowing themselves to be influenced by those who can teach them new techniques and approaches.

Build Humility

I’m not saying that you need to be humbled. I am saying that leaders who allow themselves to be led show humility, which is a key quality of strong leadership. Humility means recognizing that you don’t have all the answers and can learn from others. 

For example, if a team member suggests a better solution than yours, being willing to follow their lead shows that you value their input. Humility builds trust and respect within your team, making you a more effective leader.

Team members respect and are more willing to follow humble leaders, so show it by allowing yourself to be led. 

Learn to Handle Criticism

One of the benefits of being led is learning how to accept constructive criticism. When you allow others to guide or challenge you, you open yourself to feedback that can help you grow.

Nobody wants to hear the ways in which they are lacking, but the best leaders welcome it because they understand it is a learning opportunity.

Handling criticism is an essential part of learning and growth, and allowing someone else to poke practical holes in your methods could improve your leadership.

Inspire Your Team to Lead

By being open to leadership from others, you inspire your team members to step up and lead when needed. When your team sees you allowing yourself to be led, they understand that leadership is a shared responsibility.

It encourages them to take the initiative and even be more accepting of leadership. These are the foundation blocks of an effective team. The best leaders inspire leadership in others by showing that they trust their team to lead when necessary.

Being Led: Tips For The Best Leaders 

It’s okay if you do not know the ropes of being led. When you are a leader, you get used to making all the decisions, and coming up with plans. But if you are to join the ranks of the best leaders, there are some behaviors you need to adopt. Here’s what to get started with: 

Be Open to Feedback

The best leaders know that feedback is necessary for growth. Being led means allowing others to provide input on your decisions and actions. If you receive constructive criticism from a mentor or team member, don’t dismiss it.

And make sure that they are being honest by creating a safe environment. Let them know that honesty will not lead to reprimand. View feedback as an opportunity to improve. Being open to feedback helps you identify areas where you can grow as a leader, making you more effective in your role.

Seek Out Mentorship

Having a mentor is one of the most valuable resources for any leader. The best leaders understand that no one has all the answers, and seeking guidance from someone with more experience can provide valuable insights.

If some of the top business leaders like Richard Branson and Bill Gates have relied on mentorship to navigate challenges, then you see how valuable it is to have a mentor! Finding someone to lead and advise you helps you gain wisdom that enhances your leadership skills.

Stay Humble

Humility is a key trait for any leader who wants to be led. The best leaders recognize that they don’t know everything and are always willing to learn from others.

A key part of allowing someone else to lead you is accepting that you can learn from senior mentors and younger team members. Staying humble should not just be a status update for when you get a promotion. You must remain teachable and open to new perspectives, leading to continuous improvement.

Embrace Continuous Learning

The best leaders never stop learning, and being led encourages this mindset. Leaders who seek out new knowledge and remain curious about the world are more adaptable and innovative.

You have spent a lot of time learning but it does not mean you have nothing left to learn. Attending leadership workshops, reading books, or engaging in discussions with other leaders can expand your knowledge base.

Continuous learning keeps you up-to-date with new ideas and helps you stay effective in an ever-changing world. So stay curious!

Encourage Others to Lead

Being led isn’t just about learning from those above you—it also means encouraging leadership within your team.

The best leaders empower others to step up and lead, creating a culture of shared leadership. Offering team members the chance to take on leadership roles in projects helps them develop their own skills.

Encouraging leadership among your team fosters growth and strengthens the organization. In fact, a lot of leaders find satisfaction in leadership mentoring; you could be among them!

Adapt to Change

Finally, the best leaders are adaptable and open to change; being led helps you become more flexible. Learning from others often introduces new ideas or ways of doing things, and embracing these changes can lead to greater success.

So, if your mentor suggests a new strategy for managing your team, be willing to try it. Adapting to new ideas shows that you’re open to improvement and growth.

And in a world where things change in a second, this is a skill you are going to need!

Be Led, To Be A Better Leader

The best leaders don’t just tell others what to do—they listen and remain open to others. When you allow yourself to be led, you show that learning and growth are important values. 

You become a more relatable leader, inspire a team of people to be better, and even raise new leaders. By following these tips, the best leaders can grow, improve, and encourage others by allowing themselves to be led.

The best leaders keep an open mind when they walk into that office. Anyone, from the intern to the president, can help you improve. 

About Author
About Author

Waithira Njagi is a seasoned wellness and relationship content writer with nearly a decade of experience. Her passion for helping others navigate the complexities of personal growth and connection shines through in her engaging and insightful writing.
With a knack for distilling complex topics into easily digestible pieces, Waithira's work is geared toward readers seeking guidance and inspiration on their journey to holistic well-being.
When she's not crafting engaging articles, you can find Waithira curled up with a stack of romance novels– always rooting for love to win– or enjoying quality time with her beloved family. Her dedication to spreading love and positivity is evident in everything she creates.

Waithira is here to remind you that life, much like their stories, is a tapestry of connections - to loved ones, and the endless adventures found in books.

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