If you think you aren't a leader, you need to read about, develop and apply leadership skills more than anyone else.

The first thing to remember when you start a business is that you're diving into the leadership zone. If you don't want to be a leader, then you should think twice about running your own business.

On a daily basis your leadership skills will come into play. As your business grows and you take on employees, your leadership will be put to the test regularly. There are two things to remember about being a leader:
1. You must be in control of yourself. This means running a sound business that is built on solid foundations and one that invests money into getting things right. Many business owners run businesses that are 'all over the shop' because they're not in control of their own lives and their business is a reflection of this.
2. To lead effectively, you must want to help others go up the ladder with you.

So, how can you work out if you are a leader? The first thing to do is to work out the kind of leader you want to be. Different leaders are required for various situations – this is often called 'horses for courses'. Mother Teresa could win hearts for her work among the poor in India while Margaret Thatcher, like or loathe her, was able to steer the United Kingdom through times of turbulence and change. It is highly unlikely that their roles could have been reversed. Given their situation, they both proved to be effective, respected leaders.

Ask yourself these questions:
1. Am I a natural-born leader?
2. Am I prepared to read, listen and learn how to be a leader if I don't feel I'm born to lead? We hold the view that you can learn to lead.
3. What kind of leader do I want to be? What kind of leader do I need to be?

Fundamentally we're all put into positions of leadership. Keep remembering this: am I in control of myself?

In his book Leadership Gold, US businessman John Maxwell thinks there are several levels leaders need to progress through.

"The foundation of all leadership is relationships," he said. "Leaders have to develop themselves first — you can't develop others and have them follow you if you haven't developed yourself."

Maxwell reminds us that a leader's first responsibility is to define reality because a leader doesn't run away from the truth. He pinpoints four aspects of being a leader:
1. Learn to follow and obey first
2. Develop self-discipline
3. Practise patience and be a great listener. You don't have to finish first but take as many as possible across the line with you
4. Seek accountability — have an objective examiner bring the best out in you.

Maxwell is a big fan of passion and showing it. He underlines this in his Law of Magnetism which says: "We attract who we are, not who we want." He argues passion is the difference between ordinary and extraordinary.

Mark Albion in Making a Life, Making a Living looked at a US study of 1500 graduates over 20 years. Those in Category A (83 per cent) said they wanted to make money to enjoy life while those in Category B people (17 per cent) wanted to pursue true interests. After 20 years there were 101 millionaires in the group. Only one of those came from category A! The lesson? Pursue what you love and give it your full passion and all else will follow.

Speaker and author Marcus Buckingham says search for your strength zone and encourage everyone on your team to do the same. He defines success as: "Knowing your purpose in life. Growing to your maximum potential and sowing the seeds that benefit others."

Do what you're good at
Ask yourself this question: What do I do well? Find your sweet spot. Once you've determined your sweet spot, go where you are relatively strong.

"Good leaders help others find their strength zones and empower them to work in them," says Maxwell.

Develop yourself as a role model who others follow. Trust is critical to get people to follow you but mistrust builds if you're inconsistent, if personal gain outranks shared gain, if you withhold information, you play loose with the truth or you are closed-minded.

The opposite of the above draws people to leaders. People quit incompetent leaders. People quit insecure leaders too! Customers will eventually quit a business that is ineffectively led because your leadership skills (or lack of them) will flow right through it.

Own your mistakes
Maturity and leadership come hand in hand. Take responsibility for a relationship gone bad – what was your role in the demise of the relationship? How can you improve yourself if you always blame the other person?

So many friendships, partnerships and marriages fail because people can't see what they're doing wrong – though they can clearly see the faults of others. Maxwell says that you have to grow up in order to go up.

Immaturity keeps people on the sidelines where people are afraid to make decisions in case they're wrong ones.

Immature people protect themselves and care little for others. They fear making decisions in case flack comes back on them. You can see this happen in large companies particularly in middle management. If you don't acknowledge your own mistakes then you have little hope of learning from them!

A leader knows how to bring the best out in others. As Mother Theresa said "Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person." A leader knows when they're selling to others that their offer will genuinely bring benefit to their client or customer – it's not a question of a quick one-off sale. Leaders reap the benefits of doing good for others – and the rewards can be huge. As General Colin Powell, US Secretary of State said: "Leadership is the art of achieving more than the science of management says is possible."

Leader's checklist
1.` Be worthy of other people's trust
2. Behave honourably
3. Keep learning to lead
4. Be prepared for all outcomes – there will be tough times
5. Acknowledge your role in a problem
6. Reflect on issues so you can make sound decisions but be prepared to make a decision even if it's a wrong one
7. Be loyal to others
8. Stand up to bullies
9. If you're down, get up again (… and again, and again)

By Peter Switzer, published on 4/03/2009

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