It feels great to be in a leadership position. You issue the instructions, manage projects, and deliver results. However, there is more to leadership than just that. Ask someone who has been in a leadership position before. They’ll tell you that leadership is more about serving than leading. That’s why we, at Yuda Bands, always thought Leadership and Service are connected.

Leadership is more than just having a say. It’s about embracing an attitude of service. The willingness to serve is what differentiates the great leaders. Great leaders serve. They give to others. They are honest and trustworthy. And they use their skills, knowledge, and power to serve other people.

Unfortunately, the concept of leadership has been misunderstood for far too long. Students learn that leadership means giving orders to junior staff in an organization. Management groups believe that leadership is about issuing instructions and demanding results. It is disappointing that the real concept of leadership is almost lost.

Only a handful of leaders are willing to give and serve. That’s exactly why we only have a few great leaders. If you are a leader right now and you want to truly have a strong influence on people, start by serving them. That’s the only way to exert change and enforce positive influence. If you don’t know where to start…

Here are five things that Great Leaders do:

1. Great Leaders Lead by Example

A great leader is a great follower first. If you don’t know how it feels like to follow, then you have no right being a leader. Great leaders lead by knowledge and demonstration. You can’t ask your team to be early when you’re late all the time. You can’t ask them to work hard if you’re the laziest.

The days when leaders used to ask others to work harder are long gone. It doesn’t make sense to lead by knowledge alone. You need to back it up with action. If you look back at the great leaders — Napoleon Hill, Abraham Lincoln, Tony Robbins — they all led with action and not words. They practice what they preach. They don’t ask anyone to do anything they aren’t willing to do themselves. If you’re a leader, you should do the same.

2. Great Leaders Teach

Teaching people can be hard. It involves a lot of time, work, and sweat. But, if you want people to be an effective leader, you need to teach. It doesn’t matter if it’s teaching them to become a better student, dancer, or person. A great leader always imparts their wisdom whenever appropriate.

If you’re in a team setting, teach your team to do certain tasks. Push them out of their comfort zone. Encourage them when they fail. Appreciate and praise them when they succeed.

No one knows everything. But that shouldn’t stop you from teaching what you do know so they can benefit.

3. Great Leaders Provide

A project always needs resources. Sometimes it’s materials, people, but most of the time it is money. Do not just tell people what resources the project needs. Instead, do everything possible to make the resources available. That may mean spending a few extra hours researching on the internet, buying materials in your local store or asking people. We all know that the success of your team is also your success. So do your best to serve them. You don’t have to spoon-feed them. But make sure you did everything you can to make things life easier for them.

We all know that the success of your team is also your success. So do your best to serve them. You don’t have to spoon-feed them. But make sure you did everything you can to make things life easier for them.

4. Great Leaders Inspire Others

Besides lending a hand, you should also show them love and respect. They are your peers. Some of them may have less power and influence than you do. But never belittle or disrespect them. Instead, show them love and respect. And keep motivating them so all of you can flourish with what you’re working on.

5. Great Leaders Make Great Mentors

Great leaders, as I mentioned earlier, impart their wisdom. But sometimes some followers need more than that. They need your mentoring. If you have time and you think it’s worth mentoring a person, then by all means, do it.

It takes time to counsel someone. It takes, even more, time to see them adapt to your counsel. But as long as you put their best interest ahead of yours, they will become good at what they do.