COVERING YOUR OWN BASES or MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL!

    How many times have you seen a group dissolve for lack of a tank or healer? How many times have you advertised for a tank or healer in a channel only to have dozens of (presumably illiterate) DPS ask to tag along. If only you had some control over whether your Elemental Shaman or Fury Warrior can go to a dungeon. Well, you do! If you want to put together a five-man fast, you will need one tank and one healer. You can eliminate half the work by playing either role yourself.

    Now don't worry, I'm not here to tell leaders they can't play what they want. Not every paladin must heal, not every deathknight must tank, not every DPS must wear a "Zeus > Jesus" t-shirt, stab themselves in the eyes and throw themselves into a pool of Evangelical sharks. I am saying you must know how to make yourself an indispensable part of the group.

    So if your class can tank or heal, you should learn how, and collect gear for it. It is not mandatory you only ever play this role if you prefer to DPS, but you must at least be able to in a pinch, so that you never get Mulligan'ed into a failed group.

    For your first few max level dungeons,  play a tank or healer and gear for that role, trying to reach some basic stat thresholds (uncrittable, a certain spell power, etc.) You can still pick up DPS gear others pass on, just make sure if you ever need to heal or tank to save a group, you're experienced and geared enough to avoid embarrassment.

    Do not be one of those people who lets off-spec upgrades be sharded, even after you've got your minimum gear. If given the choice between respec'ing and disbanding, always respec. Teammates will notice a leader dedicated to the team's success.

    I know many of you prospective leaders play "pure" DPS classes who literally cannot heal or tank. Many hybrids have no interest in playing those roles. Well, I'm not here to tell you exactly what to play. In the long term, yes, it's more pragmatic to fill one of the more precious healer or tank spots in your group or raid. Yes, the leader who plays his own main tank never has to call off a raid for lack thereof. You might not always be able to fill every group, but you can make yourself indispensable in any group you do fill.

    Indispensable DPS don't just win at deeps, but at utility. A warlock who melts the flesh from a boss's bones in 2.5 seconds is impressive, but the warlock who never misses a soulstone and whose succubus is a CC machine is appreciated. The rogue who saps efficiently and misdirects well is appreciated, as are the fury warrior who carries a shield and knows how to stance-dance in emergencies, or the shaman who can throw just the right totem. Learn the little tricks of your class, like scouting with Indivisibility. One of the best leaders I've ever known played a rogue, and not only did he always top the DPS charts, he was a fast, safe sapper, an able scout, and a surprisingly good evasion tank in emergencies. No one doubted his usefulness.

    Good players cherish utility and team-mindedness. Of course you do not have to play a healer or tank if you don't want, but you must always play something useful. Show your teammates you're indispensable not just for your leadership skills, but because they wouldn't have an effective group without you.