Are you a leader?

Society puts a lot of emphasis on leadership qualities. We're told that it is desirable to have leadership qualities. Leaders are generally charismatic, assertive and outspoken. Influential people like CEOs and high ranked military officers all have such qualities.

What do you think about leadership? do you see yourself as a leader? do you believe leadership skills are essential?

Personality-wise, I've never been the leader type, and I have no interest in holding positions of power.

Well I've led raids and battleground teams in World of Warcraft. ._.

95% of the time I play the carry in Dota 2 so on certain times, yes.

I used to be general in Command & Conquer, but my win/loss ratio probably removed any unconscious desire that I might have had to become a leader...

Eh, that's not really true. Not only do the opposite personality types successfully hold down those sorts of jobs, they very often outperform the typical assertive, outspoken type.

To answer the main question, no, I am neither assertive and outspoken nor someone who's comfortable leading groups.

No, I'm better playing/working as part of the team rather than directing it, and I'm at my best when I'm alone.

I can believe how outspoken may not necessarily be that big of a factor, but assertiveness? unless if the group is already highly disciplined, I would imagine an unassertive leader would have a hard time convincing his/her group to do something that they mildly disagree on.

"Introverts" are better at listening to everybody's ideas, building consensus, and getting the most out of their employees. Obviously if they have to be able to get their employees to do the things they ask, but being assertive in the usual type A sense doesn't really translate into better leadership skills.

theone86 is correct. Research shows that although extroverts are more often made leaders, introverts tend to make better leaders and decision makers.

Leading tends to be more about dealing with personalities among your group and making decisions based on those personalities and the skillsets that they have. Charisma can help persuade people among your team that your decision is the best one if there is controversy or dissension, but that tends to be an issue only when you have extremely large groups of people to lead.

Then you are most definitely not ever the leader :P

I'm a leader by example. But I have to be more vocal.

I prefer being the lead assistant to the leader, but I've stepped into the leader role in a professional environment and done very well for myself and the team I've led.

I can be a leader

I just got accepted into the officer program in the Air Force, so let's hope so.

Anybody here been an officer in the military?

I lead my troops off a chasm.

Then I lead again,

and lead some more.

I lead all over your mother's floor.

No, but I was in the Air Force and dealt with officers. My cousin is a Captain in the Air Force though.

Until you make Lieutenant Colonel, your just a fucking idiot that pretends to know what they're doing.

Our squadron OIC was a Captain. You know what her college degree was in? Yoga. No shit.

You think she had a fucking clue how shit was done around there? Absolutely not.

I have a degree in physics and I'll be working in the missile department.

Good advice on pretend what I know what I'm doing though.

I was told to always look busy too.

I can be, though I'm not particularly charismatic, assertive or outspoken naturally

These things can be emulated well enough

LOL, when I think of a CEO, I think of a fat white guy in a suit at the top floor of a skyscraper getting paid $100,000 a day to sit on his ass and jerk off to porn.

Yeah, this basically fits for me as well.

lol

I don't really like working as part of a team but if one consists of close friends and people I'm familiar and comfortable being with, then I will act as the leader if no one else seems capable of doing it.

Yes I am.

I feel then determine if I have to lead. For example: lets say we I'm on a group work for a college assignment, the first time sit down as a group I will feel out the the group to see if someone steps up to lead the group and if that person seems capable to lead us well. If someone steps up and is a good leader then fine, I will let him take us to the promise land. If someone steps up but has problem I will make sure to steer him in the right direction, becoming as someone said "lead assistant". If it is something worse then a coup d'etat ta is coming. If no one steps up then I step up and become leader.

i associate leadership w/ expertise so if i don't feel i'm the most skilled person for a task, i tend to shy away from leading it. if i feel i am, then i have no problem taking the lead.

No, I'm not a leader. I'd like to be the furthest (farthest?) thing from a leader.

I'm fine being bossed around, call me a bi*** I don't care, I just don't want to be a leader.

When you say missile department, do you mean working with R & D type stuff, or perhaps working with the muns themselves?

I was an aircraft weapons tech so I maintained the weapons systems on fighter jets and loaded munitions during wartime.

Yes, always look busy.

I like to organize and micromanage, and that includes people. I'm the guy who studies the plan and then starts telling people what they need to do to most efficiently execute that plan. I can't stand people sitting around on their buttholes or arguing nuances...shit's gotta get done.

So yeah, I take charge.

Part of being a leader is making sure the people below me know their roles and they meet the standards set forth by the company. The quicker they do, the less I have to micromanage, the better for everyone. The less issues they have, the better we are as a team. Obviously, communications and feedback is a big thing. I also look at it from the view that these people will eventually replace me. I set them on the path to be my (or someone else in my position) eventual replacement. Keep the continuity going.

Whenever i had to lead a group during a project, i was really relaxed about it.

No. Don't want to be.

Yeah RnD. Not sure what area yet.

The department is called "space and missile development"

@MakeMeaSammitch:

Ah cool. You'll probably end up at Los Angeles AFB.

Or maybe White Sands Missile Range.

no way man

I'm not much of a leader bro I'm the type of guy that doesn't want to attract too much attention.

I could be a leader without trying hard ......... but I'm better in backstabbing people

well if that counts i have led all kinds of group content in ff xi. i can lead if i want to but i just dont have it in me to do it cause i feel like its a waste of energy. i have a new moto on life, just let people do whatever the hell they want to do. just let them be free, no need to push anyone in any one direction.

I'm not a leader nor a teammate, I'm a Sloth.

Yeah, I am. I'm outspoken without trying. I do what I think is right, and what I think is cool. I'm not interested in following the crowd.