A question that flies around a lot is if people are capable of learning HOW to be leaders. Obviously some people are more comfortable leading than others. For the not-so-natural leaders, teaching yourself how and when to use these new skills can be a difficult task as well.

First let us go over some of the skills that make an effective leader (not all, I’m tired and I’m sure I will forget some).

Confidence is the first thing that comes to my mind. This is a different kind of confidence than just believing in your own ability. You need to be able to trust people to do their job, and not feel the need to micro-manage all your raiders (this becoming extremely important in heroic raiding). Knowing that when you ask someone to do something they will be able to do it is a great tool in any raid leaders bag of tricks.

Respect for your team is another must. If you aren’t respecting the people that are under you, why will they respect you as a leader. This is going to help your overall raid atmosphere, and also bond the raid.

Dedication is required from you. It takes a good chunk of extra effort to have everything taken care of before raid time. Taking 15 minutes to sort out a raid roster 30 minutes before raid time will save you plenty of headaches and prevent drama when you rush it and make a mistake as your scrambling to put the raid together.

Time management is knowing if what you are focused on is worth your effort and if that energy can be utilized elsewhere with more effectiveness. Banging your head against a wall isn’t worth your tune unless you honestly believe you have a chance at bring it down before you go unconscious.

Preparedness is the last thing on my list (for now). This overlaps with dedication a bit, but knowing your raiders and their abilities and preparing for situations gone wrong is an asset that can save a wipe and kill a boss. When a healer dies during the last 30% of a boss fight, you need to know which tanks have which healer on them, and which one can likely spare a little attention so the slack can be picked up enough to kill the boss.

Now most of these skills should be able to be learned with the right amount of effort. However most people can learn what to do fairly easily, but when it comes to execution things can fall apart.

Learning the fine line between being not “present” enough and being a over controlling asshat can be difficult (this may sound extreme but it can happen). Learning when you’ve crossed the line between simple healing assignment and micro-managing your heal team is something I won’t be able to teach you. You know your raiders (at least you should) and know how much coaching you need to give them. Don’t assume, ask questions, get information. Ask your tanks if they know the fight and what they expect. It all comes down to the level of preparation you have come to expect your raiders to maintain, and also their ability to adapt with your direction.