Will B. Leading

One of the many valuable lessons I learned from the time I was employed at Home Depot was how to be an effective leader. Home Depot has an excellent training system and mentorship for those wanting to advance with the company.

The core of all leadership in Home Depot was that you had to be a servant leader. It did not mean you did the work of those under your leadership, although you were always expected to pitch in when necessary. It meant that you would do whatever it took to make sure those under you had the tools and training required to be effective at their job. A true leader will always put their team first, even above the leader’s personal goals. A few things a real leader does is provide support, mentorship and training. In addition, a great leader leads by example and will pull the load with the team instead of just handing out orders and sitting back to watch. Although, in some cases, giving the team the chance to strive to achieve a goal will help bolster team spirit and challenge completing tasks with no supervision. It allows team members to shine and see who may be good leadership material.

Leadership roles are not just in the workplace, and in many cases, leadership qualities naturally present themselves in many situations; the biggest example is sports. The coach is in charge, but in almost all cases in team sporting events, you will see the team looking toward one or more individuals inside the team for guidance and support.

There is a chance to shine as the leader in almost any situation where more than one person is gathered. Are you a natural leader? Maybe you have the knowledge and drive to be a leader but have not stepped up to the plate to give it a go. Anyone can be a great leader if you put your team first, encourage the team to strive for excellence, and support your team when they need it. One of the many things I learned as a department head with Home Depot was celebrating the win no matter how small and treating every failure as a learning experience. If you learn from the mistake and get right back on that horse when you fall off, there is nothing wrong with failing. This is Will B saying, don’t be afraid to step up and lead those around you to success.