What is a leader?

What is a leader? Can anyone be a leader?

I think a leader is someone who others admire and who has the drive to lead others. Being a leader is not an easy task. It can be a skill that takes a while to get accustomed to. There are thousands of great leaders, for example, Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., Gangdi and Mother Theresa.  Anyone can learn to be a leader, with the right training. Exercises that involve managing project teams towards agreed specific outcomes are ideal for developing management and leadership ability. Starting with small projects, then progressively increasing project size, complexity and timescales as the trainee’s abilities grow.

Here are 10 things excellent leaders do consistently:

1. Read; they keep up-to-date with the media and with what is going on in today’s world
2. Believe; they need to believe in themselves so that they can lead others. Self-doubt and low self-esteem are stumbling blocks
3. Attend workshops; they are eager to keep learning new things!
4. Goal-orientated; they set goals for themselves, always one step ahead
5. Mentor; they mentor others but this does not mean they do not have their own mentors too! Valuing both giving and receiving feedback
6. Work with integrity; great leaders are honest and hard-working
7. Look at the big picture; they are able to look at the bigger pictures and are visionary and able to help others embrace their vision
8. Willing to sacrifice; they need to be willing to make certain sacrifices one way or another. Not everything will always go their way
9. Speak boldly; they are not afraid to speak their mind and are able to do so with respect
10. Think often; leadership requires thought and planning. They are able to plan time to think and process information before making major decisions.

Try to describe a leader.