How do you know if you're a good leader? You can read 400 blog posts or listen to 50 podcasts and get 450 different answers. And all of them are wrong.
That's probably a bit dramatic, but what is true for one leader may not be true for a different leader, and both can be great. One may be outspoken and charismatic, while the other is quiet and self-assured, but both can be phenomenal leaders. Character traits don't define good leadership. In fact, across all the spheres of influence, there are few leaders who are alike, let alone exactly alike.
So how do you know? How do you know if you're a good leader? You have people who WANT to follow you. Whether it's in church or in a business, the proof is in the pudding. Do people follow you? Because good leadership is one of the few things that need physical proof to be true. Saying someone is a good leader may or may not be true unless you have the evidence to back it up.
Good leadership cannot be true in theory only.
You can read all the tips and tricks, but ultimately, it only really matters if you can turn that knowledge into followers. Work on your character, develop some strategies, but constantly measure it against the bar of "Do I have followers or am I just someone on a walk?"
So that's how you know if you're a good leader. The trick is becoming a great one. Good leaders make followers. People who are into the mission and the vision. They carry the weight and fight the good fight. That's awesome because every mission needs followers. But great leaders make other great leaders. Not only do they have some people following along, but they also have some people they are developing to do more than just carry weight. Great leaders make other great leaders because the great leaders you create multiply and carry that vision further.
And that's that. There is a lot more I could add to talk about great leadership. I've been privileged to be developed under all kinds of great leaders, but I think that really looking at the evidence of whether or not you're a good leader is important. Even more important is figuring out how you can take that step from good to great.