after a dream i had where my manager and i had tried to sacrifice ourselves to stop a bomb together, i realized what it really means to be a leader. This sort of sacrifice is not as easy as that one though, because a one time choice of putting others first isn’t what being a leader is, That is a choice a leader has to make over, and over. To put others before you. Others feelings, others well being, and others peace of mind and safety. This can be something as simple as telling people good job, but i’m reality it’s something you have to do consistently and as much as possible. This includes keeping up a good attitude, using please and thank you, checking in on others and being aware of what’s going on and how you could be able to help if someone could use a hand. There are many leaders at my workplace who display this sort of behavior, but, not to throw anyone under the bus, I also see leaders that aren’t able to put others feelings ahead of their own. I too have been guilty of this, but am working on changing that. When you’re stressed out it can be hard to be patient with people, but patience is one of the most important qualities of a leader, especially someone working with younger people or children. It can be easy to metaphorically push over or shove aside people who are in your way if you know you can get there quicker than them, but its never the right thing to do. Showing people or directing people, along with working WITH them, can help tremendously with either teaching them how to do something, getting them used to the practice or just making them feel included and appreciated. This is extremely important, because weather or not someone feels appreciated in the work place has a direct impact on their mental health and their willingness and drive to do a good job and try their hardest. You want to be genuine when appreciating people, and to try to find specific things to tell them they’re appreciated for. I personally struggle with being generally passive and nice, but then when it cones to stressful situations, i am not always that kind to my coworkers. I want to change that, and to try to make sure everyones day is going well, and everyone feels like they have a reason or even enjoy the work they’re doing. I want to do this in ways such as checking up on people, generally watching them to see how they’re doing or feeling, and making sure mentally i can see things i can help them with, and doing it in a way that wont belittle them or make them feel less than or unappreciated.