The old saying that leadership is born with the person is no longer true as it is now possible to cultivate the qualities for each and every individual to become leader. Some will become good leaders but some may fail in the process of doing so. For those who made it, chances are they possess the following characteristics of knowing oneself, ability to influence others and synergise to accomplish tasks. People can feel the personal power once they feel free and equal, are  recognised for their efforts, have two way communication and have their needs taken care of.

It is critical for us to know ourselves either through self-assessment or feedback from others. Once we are aware of our strengths and weaknesses then we can find ways and means to improve ourselves continuously. We have to be open and willing to learn from education, training, mentors, friends and associates in order to become a more successful person.

Having establish who we are, it is then possible to go about influencing the right people by setting the vision, understanding the people we would like to influence, begin to build up relationships with them, once they are committed the goals are communicated to them and motivate them to achieve the mutually agreed goals.

The actually challenge is to accomplish the tasks identified in order to achieve the goals. These tasks are usually accomplished through brainstorming and the problems are analysed with the view of identifying the solutions. As a leader we have to exercise initiative by demonstrating commitment and enthusiasm so that the people can be involved willingly. The most motivational strategy is to use performance measurements so that appropriate recognition and rewards can be recorded for achievements and counter-measures for under-performing tasks.