7 signs you're a leader people want to follow

It's not always easy to gauge how you're doing as a boss.Your reports aren't always likely to tell you how you're undermining their performanceor even what you're doing well thatthey'd like to see more of.The best solution to this problem is probably to ask for direct feedback.But where to start'We've rounded up seven signs, based on research and expert opinion, that you're doing a great job of rallying and motivating your team.Ask yourself how much each trait or behavior describes you, and consider asking your employeesthe same.SEE ALSO:7 brilliant leadership lessons I learned this yearYou're generally positiveResearch from 2015suggests that happy people make more effective leaders.That's largely because they're more likely to displaytransformational leadership, which means they're especially good at inspiring and motivating their team and stimulating them intellectually.Interestingly, according to the research, positivity was an even better predictor of leadership effectiveness than extroversiona personality traitwe typically associate with successful bosses.This isn't to say that you should force yourself to smile and laugh at every team meeting. Instead, it might be more helpful for those in the position of selecting future leaders to be mindful of those candidates'overallaffect.You're not afraid of changeYoung managers are perceived as more effective than their older counterparts, according toa study of more than 65,000 leaders conducted by leadership development consultancy Zenger/Folkman.One key reason why' They welcome novelty.Zenger/Folkman saysit's possible that younger managers' relative lack of experience means they're more optimistic about the changes they propose and more willing to be the "champions of change."You're pretty boringThe technical term is "emotional maturity," whichmeans being emotionally stable, agreeable, and conscientious.As business psychologist Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic writes in The Harvard Business Review, "[T]he best managers in the world tend to be stable rather than excitable, consistent rather than erratic, as well as polite and considerate."That might be part of the reason why Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, is so successful.Rather than being emotionally volatile, like Steve Jobs for example, Pichai is reported to be predictable and to stay out of the spotlight.In other words, Jobs is more the exception than the rulebetter to emulate Pichai if you're hoping to lead your team to greatness.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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