Leaders are made not born by Annie Bahwani

Leaders are made not born. One can learn from the wisdom coming from the parents, whether you like it or not, what we learned from them are the basis of our decisions, actions and even by answering difficult problems in life. Our parents molded us, they are the pillars of who we are today. One can gain the characteristics  by the experience we have at work or environment, by attending different leadership seminars or just by reading a book. One just needs to have the right mindset and skill to grasp what it takes to be one.

According to Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State,

 "Effective leaders are made, not born, Powell said. They learn from trial and error, and from experience. When something fails, a true leader learns from the experience and puts it behind him. "You don't get reruns in life," he said. "Don't worry about what happened in the past."

"You know you're a good leader when people follow you out of curiosity."

Leadership involves

• Taking responsibility for the direction & actions of a team
• Being able to influence, direct and motivate others.
• Setting objectives.
• Organizing & motivating others.
• Taking the initiative
• Persevering when things are not working out.
• Taking a positive attitude to frustration/failure.
• Being flexible: prepared to adapt goals in the light of changing situations.

There are so many books about leadership. If you think you can influence one, try to influence more and there is a measurement to that and it’s called success in most negotiations. Being able to convince others is one characteristic of a leader, it means that you are credible, trustworthy, persevere and can motivate others in their decisions. 

Perceive yourself as a leader first before others  view you as one. If you don't have a confidence, try one step at the time to gain it. Stand up and do something that others are afraid to try.

How to become a leader

• Use initiative to act on opportunities. Become a leader before other people view you as one. If you are an employee, the boss can see you and can reward those who take the lead.
• Take responsibility for own objectives: set priorities and targets.
• Display a "can do" attitude even in demanding situations.. Try to solve problems, rather than to pass them on to other people. First answer is ‘yes, I’ll make it happen’.
• "Go the extra mile" when asked to do tasks. Go beyond your job description. Do work that gets you noticed. Don’t limit yourself. Be the brightest and reddish apple in the basket.
• Show enthusiasm: this will be noticed and you will eventually be rewarded.
• Take ownership of problems: anticipate potential problems, take pre-emptive action and act quickly to resolve problems.
• Introduce improvements to the way things are done.
• Develop innovative practices. Value innovative thinking.
• Learn new skills that will enhance capability.
• Common sense is not common!

Reading the content above gives you a glimpse and guidance to become a leader. One just needs to become confident but needs also to have the tools to back up the decisions and suggestions. A leader can detect another leaders and as what others say, we all wants to be in a company of leaders who can teach us more and lift us more for more success in life. Nobody likes a failure.