If there is one thing that will virtually guarantee your success in life and in business, it is developing a keen sense of leadership. Those who have the skill and authority to become good leaders are always at the forefront of every new venture. 

Being able to lead takes knowledge, skill, focus and determination. Decision making also is vital. Of course, it must be paired with implementation. The most profound vision or the best plan is never going to amount to much if you are unable to take it from the drawing board to the front lines and do something with it!  So, what makes someone a great leader? Many have studied this question and come up with an answer. According to popular research, great leaders require: 

A Vision

Do you have a vision for yourself … your future … your company?  If not, you probably don’t have the makings of a leader. Great leaders are never followers. They don’t just do what others tell them; they tell others what to do.  If you can not envision a future for yourself and your business, how in the world can you hope to lead people on the journey toward success?

Tenacity

A good leader knows what needs to get done and does whatever is necessary to accomplish the task! Tenacity is a must if you hope to lead people toward a successful outcome. 

Motivation

It isn’t always easy to get people to do your bidding. Sometimes it takes a gentle hand and other times it requires a hard-nosed approach. Good leaders are able to determine what their underlings need to get motivated and reach their own potential. 

Trust 

Who wants to follow someone they can’t trust?  Be sure to develop trust in your relationships if you ever hope to get people on board with your ideas and follow you. 

Persuasion

Leading is not about barking orders and making people do your bidding.  Sometimes it requires the gentle art of persuasion. 

Flexibility

Are you willing to change or is your way the only way?  When you are open to change you are available for others to take a risk and offer their ideas and suggestions. This leads to innovation and success. 

Perspective

A good leader must be able to look at a problem from all sides and develop a plan that works for everyone – not just themselves.

Respect 

Effective leadership requires respect, both respect for you and your respect for others and their ideas. When respect is lost (from either side) you become ineffective and therefore cannot lead any group. 

Have you ever wondered why strong leadership is so vital to your success (especially in business)? Here are several ways in which strong leadership can enhance and strengthen a company:

• It inspires your workforce to stay committed and do a better job.  When motivated correctly, a staff will go above and beyond what is asked to complete a job well. This can not be accomplished without a strong leader at the helm.
• It increases your bottom line. When business leaders are effective, their workforce becomes more productive and this efficiency leads to higher profits.
• Good leadership identifies and defines expectations and creates goals. This helps everyone overcome failures and succeed.
• Good leaders help to clearly communicate a vision for the company’s future, helping create a road map for employees to follow.
• Good leaders collaborate with their team. Strong leaders use the resources they are given. They tap into the many skills their team possesses in order to strengthen their overall capabilities.
• Obtain and match the right people to the right job. Once this is accomplished goals can be reached much quicker.
• Encourage and provide continuing education and development to their employees.
• Employ sufficient time management skills to help create a more efficient workplace.
• Show honesty, integrity, respect and trust in their daily duties.
• Include staffers in decision making process whenever possible.  This provides a sense of ownership.  When people take pride in their work, quality and productivity increase.

To be a strong leader, you must learn to step beyond yourself and tap into the many skill sets at your disposal. By learning how to turn individual workers into a team that can work together to accomplish a larger goal, you will showcase your leadership abilities and propel your business forward toward success.