Leadership is essential to getting things done.

But the qualities of good leaders self-knowledge, commitment, willingness to look to others for support, being open to change, and a desire to go the extra mile can determine whether anyone chooses to follow. By Lisa Dewey

Leadership is a word Girl Scouts use a lot. We help girls develop into leaders. We recruit volunteer leaders. We plan and carry out operations under the direction of board and staff leaders. But what exactly does this mean? What is leadership? A leader is someone who helps others do and become more than they ever thought possible. Leadership is about unlocking potential, whether individual potential or that of a group, company, or organization. It is not about telling people what to do, but inspiring them to see what they are capable of, then, helping them get there.

Leadership is a hot topic. An online search found 22 million Web site listings for the word "leadership." Why? Because good leadership gets things done. But the quality of leadership determines the difference between a team passionate about what they're doing versus one that is following orders. Where You're Going Effective leaders know what's important to them, what their strengths and weaknesses are, what drives them, and where to draw the line. Put it together and it boils down to a leader who has self-confidence and clear values.

Leadership Quality 1: Good leaders know themselves. Knowing oneself is necessary when faced with challenges or ethical choices, communicating with those who have different ideas, making decisions, and identifying sources of satisfaction. "We need to be clear about our own values, priorities, and preferences and not let someone else, or society, define them for us," said Marian Ruderman, a group director at the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, North Carolina. "By clearly identifying those values, priorities, and preferences we can articulate what we want, develop benchmarks, and make better choices." For Girl Scouts, the Promise and Law provide a solid foundation. That's why it is critical that every member start from the same basis. As Karen White, GSUSA Director of Volunteer Development and Diversity, explained: "The values of an individual must match the values of the Girl Scout Movement. We then encourage an individual's future growth through training, mentoring, and coaching." It's by providing learning opportunities, both formal and informal, that Girl Scouts helps girls, volunteers, and staff members develop stronger self-awareness. Willing to Commit In addition to being self-aware, an effective leader is not afraid to take on responsibilities. Sometimes it requires putting the organization or group first and keeping it there. Cynthia Thompson, Chair, National Board of Directors, GSUSA, said, "I believe a lot of people understand what it means to be a leader, but the difference comes down to commitment. True leadership requires you to make sacrifices, including putting others before yourself." Leadership Quality 2: Good leaders are committed. "Sometimes our use of the word 'leadership' can put people off," said Gayle Davis, GSUSA Senior Director, Council Resource Development. "A potential volunteer may think 'I can't do that; I've no experience or qualifications.' When really what we're looking for is a mentor, a person who prompts others to be their best, someone who cares and listens, someone confident in her beliefs and is willing to be there." What Gayle describes is a committed leader. For Girl Scouts, that means being committed to "inspiring girls with the highest ideals of character, conduct, patriotism, and service so that they may become happy and resourceful citizens" (as stated in the Blue Book of Basic Documents).

Spectacularly Unsuccessful In his article, "Seven Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful Executives," which appeared in Fast Company magazine in July 2003, Sydney Finkelstein chronicles the characteristics of leaders who fail not just ineffective leaders but those who have reversed the fortunes of thriving corporations. Which bad leaders placed high on this notorious list? According to Mr. Finkelstein, it's those individuals who think they have all the answers. Leadership Quality 3: Good leaders know they don't know everything. Believing that an effective leader is one who knows it all is one of the most dangerous misconceptions about leadership. Human frailty comes into play whether sitting in a cubicle or a corner office. So while the ultimate decision and responsibility may lie with one individual, it is incumbent upon her or him to gather information and trust others' points of view before developing a plan of action. Cynthia Thompson reflected, "The most challenging element of leadership is to bring individuals together to move forward, but that's also the most rewarding. It's so wonderful when it does happen. To get there requires maturity to recognize that your way is never the only way." A Place to Try Girl Scouts offers girls and teenagers a safe environment to give leadership a try, to test and stretch themselves. Setting goals, planning trips and events, earning patches and awards, and organizing service projects, there's no limit to the experiences a Girl Scout can have. The critical component is girls doing it themselves, even if it means something does not get done or is done differently. For some adults, the latter is very difficult especially those with tendencies towards perfectionism. But letting go is how mutual trust is built. Leadership Quality 4: Good leaders are open to change. Change is one of life's most obvious factors, yet remains one of the most strongly resisted. As Peter Senge, an expert on managing organizations, says, "Everything is in motion, continually changing, forever adapting." Effective leaders recognize the value of change. Yet all too often, it's much more comfortable to ignore the inevitability of change and to keep things the way they've always been. Unless a leader's goal is to bankrupt a business or ensure no new members join an organization, that approach cannot work. Changes need to be anticipated and responded to if growth is going to continue. And that applies to minor changes, as well as major ones. With Small Acts Come Big Things There may be a time when one is called upon to take on challenges greater than one can ever imagine. Joan Weiner Jones, the current Overseas Committee Chair and leader of Junior Girl Scout Troops 1 and 17 in Kuwait can attest to that. This year, she and her volunteers have worked diligently to keep USA Girl Scouts Overseas active in the tumultuous Middle East. "Some of the small, effective acts of leadership

are going the extra mile, when you think you can't," Joan wrote in an e-mail. "Setting the scene with small leadership acts gives you credence and respect when big things happen." Leadership Quality 5: Good leaders go the extra mile. Some leaders have a lifetime of small acts of leadership as extraordinary encouragers, strong organizers, good persuaders, or charismatic speakers. When it comes down to it, how we lead is a reflection of the characteristics and values that define who we are. As Juliette Low's brother, G. Arthur Gordon, told his audience at the 21st annual Girl Scout Convention in 1935, "Life revolves itself principally into what we do and what we are, the former largely controlled by the latter." A Leader Can Be... Being an effective leader does not always require moving heaven and earth. A leader's role can vary and be effective in small, yet extremely powerful ways.
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A clarifier listens, summarizes, and makes things clearer. A coach encourages others to develop their skills. A facilitator helps the group set goals, make decisions, choose directions, and evaluate progress. A delegator helps each group member apply her talents and interests to the group's goals. An initiator gets things moving. A manager helps coordinate the parts of a project and keeps an eye on progress. A mediator helps resolve differences. A networker connects people with people and people with ideas to move the project forward. A problem-solver suggests solutions and ways to get things done. A visionary sees creative solutions, new directions, and possibilities.

"Setting the scene with small leadership acts gives you credence and respect when big things happen."

7 Qualities every learder needs

Every good leader has something good in him which makes him best among the other leaders. If you want to be a good leader you need to have atleast 7 qualities within you making you best team leader. Below mentioned are the 7 things you need to work on to be a good leader: 1) Be Knowledgebale and planned awalys: people on the top managerial positions are always avid reader. Having basic knowledge about your group, company and your profile will help you enhance your job prospectus and help you develop new ideas to work upon. You also get a better prespective of managerial issues within your company. Keep researching on about managerial and technical aspects of your company and profile every now and then to keep your self updated and best within your group. Have every answer asked by your team on your company and project. Be knowledgeable always keep you at the top.

2) Communicate well with others: Communication plays an important role in your career. Having good communication skills you will always be ahead of everyone when comes to speeching. A good speecher is always heard by good listeners and remembered by those who never listens carefully. A speeher is always known for his good speeches. With great and fluent communication you can attarct everyone towards you making your own style. Have clarity in your words and deliver them correctly. Polish your communication skills to give your best everywhere. 3) Stay Cool: Its not always possible for eveyone to stay in his cool whne things go bad. But a good leader always maintain his cool even in the worst of condition. So one should maintain and keep his mind always balanced in his emotions if its a matter to excitment or an issue of overreaction. Good leaders excel at crisis mangement. They stay focused on their goals and never lose control on their anger and handle issues perfectly. having this quality one can make quick and accurate decisions on time. 4) Be a good Listener: A good listener is always appreciated. But being a good listener doesn't mean only only listening to all what is said but alsoraising questions on it, giving suggestions etc. A leader should always be open for views from other, suggestions and opinions from the team. Always motivate your team and encourage them to deliver on time. This quality can help your team to come forward and feel comfortable asking or suggesting you on various matters. 5) Be Consistent: Consistency is a key to success. Consistence means to be always planned in whatever you go. A good palnning can help you achieve your targets and deliver on or before time. A good team

learder have his own plan to work efficiently and deliver on time. Make a team plan with your team and work jointly to achieve good results. 6) Inspire and Encourage others: Ecouraging other will never affect your position. This is what most of the team leaders think as they may lose out their position to someone else. Inspiring your team shows a positive attitude in you and proves you a good leader.Encourage your team implementing on their views and ideas if you find them suitable for implementaion and if not ask them to make the necessary changes. Always be tahnkful to your team for their support and continous hard wordk making you a good leader and them as a best working team. 7) Be a role model: everyone wants to be a role model to someone. Work harder than you except your team members to work. being a team leader you should be efficient enough to make your team work efficiently. Dont assume that a leader's job is to only handle a team and get the work done from them and complete your projects. Dont forget to be honest and respectful.

IES NEEDED TO BE A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR

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Successful entrepreneurs have an unwaivering, total belief in themselves and never allow anyone or anything to dispel that belief. Entrepreneurs are self-motivated; they don't need anyone or anything other than their goals to motivate them. Successful entrepreneurs are not people who never fail but all successful entrepreneurs have the capacity to bounce back after failure. Most will talk about their failures as part of their learning curve. Entrepreneurs are driven by a manic need to succeed. This can take the form of money, recognition, fame or power. Successful entrepreneurs are the world's worst losers. They have to win at all costs. Entrepreneurs are decisive, they take risks, they act impulsively on gut feelings. The most successful entrepreneurs know their limitations and surround themselves with people who have the skills they lack. Entrepreneurs are driven and focused on their sales targets at all times. Successful entrepreneurs are prepared to make personal sacrifices in order to succeed. Entrepreneurs are intuitive, recognising niche markets and business opportunities that others fail to see. The most successful entrepreneurs are multi-taskers with the capacity to cope and deal with several ideas and projects at one time. Entrepreneurs are organised, not necessarily on paper but in their heads and able to maintain information and monitor progress at all times. Entrepreneurs make things happen, they do not spend their time dreaming about success. They get an idea and act swiftly. Entrepreneurs do not recognise limits of boundaries, they set high targets, achieve them and set further goals. They are never satisfied no matter their level of success. Successful entrepreneurs are determined to succeed no matter what it takes. Entrepreneurs are persistent and able to endure rejection and set backs. The most successful entrepreneurs do their research to ensure they have the answers before problems arise.

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Entrepreneurs are open minded and prepared to listen and learn from everyone. Successful entrepreneurs are professional in their approach to business at all times. The most successful entrepreneurs never stop thinking about business, ideas and business opportunities. Few survive on more than a few hours of sleep a night and most will carry a pen and paper by their bed.

Becoming a successful entrepreneur requires personal sacrifice and commitment. Whilst having a good business idea or product is an essential element, it is the person that turns failure into success and thepeople who surround you that turn dreams into reality. If you truly believe that you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur, find out what makes a successful entrepreneur.

Being an entrepreneur is about more than just starting a business or two, it is about having attitude and the drive to succeed in business. All successful Entrepreneurs have a similar way of thinking and posses several key personal qualities that make them so successful in business. Successful entrepreneurs like the ambitious Richard Branson have an inner drive to succeed and grow their business, rather than having a Harvard Business degree or technical knowledge in a particular field. All successful entrepreneurs have the following qualities: Inner Drive to Succeed Entrepreneurs are driven to succeed and expand their business. They see the bigger picture and are often very ambitious. Entrepreneurs set massive goals for themselves and stay committed to achieving them regardless of the obstacles that get in the way. Strong Belief in themselves Successful entrepreneurs have a healthy opinion of themselves and often have a strong and assertive personality. They are focused and determined to achieve their goals and believe completely in their ability to achieve them. Their self optimism can often been seen by others as flamboyance or arrogance but entrepreneurs are just too focused to spend too much time thinking about un-constructive criticism. Search for New Ideas and Innovation All entrepreneurs have a passionate desire to do things better and to improve their products or service. They are constantly looking for ways to improve. They're creative, innovative and resourceful. Openness to Change If something is not working for them they simply change. Entrepreneurs know the importance of keeping on top of their industry and the only way to being number one is to evolve and change with the times. They're up to date with the latest technology or service techniques and are always ready to change if they see a new opportunity arise. Competitive by Nature Successful entrepreneurs thrive on competition. The only way to reach their goals and live up to their self imposed high standards is to compete with other successful businesses. Highly Motivated and Energetic Entrepreneurs are always on the move, full of energy and highly motivated. They are driven to succeed and have an abundance of self motivation. The high standards and ambition of many entrepreneurs demand that they have to be motivated!

Accepting of Constructive Criticism and Rejection Innovative entrepreneurs are often at the forefront of their industry so they hear the words "it can't be done" quite a bit. They readjust their path if the criticism is constructive and useful to their overall plan, otherwise they will simply disregard the comments as pessimism. Also, the best entrepreneurs know that rejection and obstacles are a part of any leading business and they deal with them appropriately. True entrepreneurs are resourceful, passionate and driven to succeed and improve. They're pioneers and are comfortable fighting on the frontline The great ones are ready to be laughed at and criticized in the beginning because they can see their path ahead and are too busy working towards their dream.

Qualities Needed to be an Entrepreneur Summary: Being a business owner requires many qualities including the following: creativity, responsibility, an inquisitive nature, goal oriented, independent, self-demanding, self-fonfident, risktaking, and a restlessness for success.

Ever considered going into business for yourself or becoming anentrepreneur" What exactly is entrepreneur? An entrepreneur is a person who takes on the organization and ownership of a business. Also accepting many risks and responsibilities in exchange for profit and personal satisfaction. What exactly does it take to be an entrepreneur?Entrepreneurs hold many characteristics that you can pinpoint. Still want to be an entrepreneur? See if you hold any of these characteristics. Persistence: willing to work until the job is done, no matter how long it takes. Tenacious in overcoming obstacles and reaching goals Creativity: Responsible: Inquisitive: Goal Oriented: Independent: Self-demanding: Self-Confident: Risk-Taking: Restless: Action-Oriented: Entrepreneurship is the process of getting, starting your own business, or clinging to a franchise. Before starting your own business you should first and most definitely know yourself and what you want to accomplish because if you don't you'll constantly fall into a pit. With entrepreneurship comes many rewards as well as risks, which all comes in how you pursue what you plan to do. The greatest reward is your independence and success. Many gain this success because they are highly disciplined, prefer excitement, and relate well with others. The greatest risk is losing it all before you start, which only comes when you think everything is going to be handed to you on a platter.

One of the greatest influences on a business is recognizing opportunity. Opportunity is an idea with commercial value, and commercial value is when the customer is ready and willing to buy. Thus and idea plus market equals opportunity. Business owners must constantly look for new and improved ideas to meet customer satisfaction, and must stay ahead of competition to obtain personal satisfaction. The best way to claim these satisfactions is to follow trends. The most effective trends today are fitness and health, ethic production i.e. Hair products, clothing and indulgence i.e. foods, foods, and more foods. The best way to find out trends would be to watch the people around, the people your trying to satisfy. Another major part in business success would be technology. It plays a major role because it provides strong advantages for business owners. It allows ample opportunity for entrepreneurs to compete with bigger business. Once you have a General idea for your new business you need to turn it into a business concept in other words you need a business plan. A business plan provides details of a new business so that the business can obtain financial support. The reason a business plan is so important is you can obtain the financial support you deserve and need. Banks look to see at what you plan to do and how you plan to do it. With this they determine the amount of the loan as well as the repayment rate. The business plan also serves as a living guide to help you better organize and analyze critical information. Mainly to help you remember all the details you would like for your business to contain. A "blueprint" of what's to come leading your business to both reality and a success. Another concept that will help you acquire your business in the way thatyou want it will be to relay a vision, the main concept of your business, which includes how you should run it, what it will become when thinking of a vision you should keep it broad so it can last through the changing times. A vision is what sticks with you whether your go through good or bad times. To obtain organization of your thoughts you will need to put these together in one of many areas. The: Executive summary: brief recounting of the main purpose of the business Product/service plan: presents the products and services you have to offer. Management Team plans: presents your qualifications as well as those who will be working with you. Industry/Market Analysis: analyze customers and competition around you. Operational Plan: How products and services will be delivered. Organizational Plan: legal form of the company of management personnel and employment. Marketing Plan: How the company will make customers aware. Financial Plan: predicts the future of financially. Growth Plan: looks for how long the business to expand.

To fill in all of this information you will need to gather ample information as well as deal with trial and error. Once you have gathered the information concerning your business organize so you can use the information that will be useful to you and your business. Then set up a notebook to store any information pertaining to your business, also include a rough draft of your business plan. There are many places you can receive information from if you are unsure what it is that you really want from your business. Such sources are: Small business Administration: provides publications at minimal charge Service Corps Of Retired Executives: provides free assistance toentrepreneurs Chambers of Commerce: provides financial assistance Trade Associations:Offer assistance to entrepreneurs in a specific profession. Small business development Centers: provide informationalcounseling, usually located at colleges and universities. Now that you have supplied and obtained this information you can now put everything together. But you can't forget your cover page. Your cover page should include the company name, contact person, address and phone number of company and the words Business Plan. This is your so you can make it stand out as much as possible as long it is presentable and professional. You can use business logos or color, but not to loud. Following the cover page you should always make sure you include a table of contents so that readers can find exactly what they are looking for without flipping through the plan hundreds of times. Also at the end of you plan is sure to include your supporting documents i.e. resumes of you and your partners. Now you have finally got the business plan out of the way, how you will start, what you'll start with, and how to obtain finances as well. Question is, what type of business ownership will you have? There are three different types ownerships, which will choose" Sole Proprietorship: one person handles it all. Advantage: Complete authority Disadvantage: financially binding Partnership: Decisions and outcomes of business are shared. Advantage: Multiple talents Disadvantage: If one quits business fails Corporation: A business that is chartered or registered by state. Advantage: issuing shares or stock can raise Money

Disadvantage: Expensive to set up For a business to start of successful as well as continue to be successful you will need customer. But How will you attract them? Will you target through e-mail television or mail? The way you Generally target customers depends on their age group. So you decide teen clothing how do you reach these teens. Simple the teen's everyday life is mainly surrounded by school television and radio. So what's your answer? Simple. To find out how to reach your customers you need to learn how to think like your customers. This is the complete article, containing 1,117 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page).

An entrepreneur needs many qualities to be successful. I'd say mostly he needs management skills and patience. Starting a business takes alot of time. If you are taking schooling just take alot of business classes. Including business law so you know you're legal limits. And I'd take at least one accounting class as well. Starting out usually you're running everything so you need to be able to do it all at first. Good luck with whatever you plan on doing.

Real entrepreneurs have characteristics that others of us don't have. They can take an idea, convert that idea into a product or service that a certain part of the population needs, and create a business around that product or service. What characteristics does an entrepreneur have that the rest of us don't that enables them to do that? Share Your Thoughts thanks =) Thanks for all. I have learned so many lesson now i can start my business Thank you for your guidance and opinions. Guest dialyn aday What it takes to be an entrepreneur I think it takes commitment, discipline, tenacity, vision, quantified reason for doing business and above all passion. Guest Jones Nkhata what it takes to be an Entrepreneur What it takes is have good leadership skills, well organized and to be flexible and confident in your work. Guest Rachael McCoy What it takes I think an entrepreneur is an original thinker that is highly motivated. They think outside the box. They don't accept the way things are and they think of ways to make things better. Guest Angela Tackett What it takes I think that an entrepreneur is made and not born. They are highly motivated people in the sense of accomplishing things. They arent necessarily motivated by just the money motive. They may take their family and their needs into consideration. They also have a strong sense of initiative and would rather do things on their own then involve a whole corporation of people. They are dedicated to their businesses and put as much time into them as they can. They are working for themselves rather than for anyone else. They also know what is going on in the market around them at all times. They react to change and know how to handle situations on their own. Guest Michelle Haigis What it Takes to be an Entrepreneur There are many characteristics that an entrepreneur must possess in order to be successful. It takes determination, hard work, passion and drive. I think the characteristic that is most important, however,

is confidence. You have to believe in your idea, have passion for it and think that your idea is the best idea out there. You have to back your idea 100% and never show that you have any doubt. Guest Brittany Schuler Entrepreneur I believe there are several factors that go into making a person a good entrepreneur. This person has to be a highly motivated person. They have to able and willing to keep their own schedules. These schedules will almost always carry long hours with them. An entrepreneur has to be very detail orienented and goal driven. This person is responsibile for everything that happens with and in the company, so he or she should be very organized. Another very important characteristic of a good entrepreneur is the ability to accept failure and to learn from them. No one that opens a business is going to get everything right. That person has to work hard to correct mistakes and learn not to do it again. Guest Willie Owens What it takes. An entrepreneur is a person who can see a problem and find a solution. An entrepreneur is a person who is will to take on risk, work hard, and be innovative. Guest Paul Ostering Entrepreneur Entrepreneurs are dedicated too their work, they are driven by a need to succeed. They motivate themselves and make buisness better in America. Guest vanessa adkins Ethics=Strong Entrepreneurs In my opinion the characteristics that make a successful entrepreneur start with the individual being ethical in today's business world. Over the last decade people running small to large firms have at some point practiced unethical standards to gain success or momentum in today's business world. These unethical practices may include lying to employees, lying to customers about a product or service, or some sort of scheme to make millions. However, we as business managers working in today's market must be ethical in the way we conduct our business practices. When we are ethical it allows us to gain the trust and respect from customers and gives us a competitive edge over the competition. When people believe we are trustworthy they will continue doing business with us. Also, I feel we have to have the "Competitive Fever" to be a successful entrepreneur. What I mean by this is we have to set "realistic" goals that can be achieved in short term, but these goals must also be factors in our Guest Justin_Turner23

Entrepreneur Characteristics Entrepreneurs share several characteristics. They are independant people and risk takers. Entrepreneurs are driven, self starters who strive for perfection and higher standards. Entrepreneurs are dedicated to their businesses working countless hours to obatin quick and positive results. Guest Jason Allen What it takes to be an entrepreneur An entrepreneur is an individual that is ambitious. They want a business that portrays themselves to society. It is a fact that entrepreneurs tend to hire family members to incorporate family ties into the business. I have dreams of a diner for myself and my sister. We would help the community by giving jobs and also we would have employment for ourselves that included our love for one another and for food. An entrepreneur also is someone that is willing to go the extra mile. Starting a business takes sacrifices of time and money. In many cases people are not willing to work many hours for a role of the dice. I say this because any new business venture is risky. If a person is dedicated to what they want, motivated to achieve their goals, and willing to give freely their time then they are entrepreneurs. Guest Crystal Owens It takes a Vision To be an entrepreneur, a person has to have their own vision of what business they want to have. This person must be determined, independent, motivated, and have the need for success. It takes a lot of hard work to make a business work and you have to be willing to give it everything you have to make it work. Guest Stacey Hanson It takes a Vision To be an entrepreneur, a person has to have their own vision of what business they want to have. This person must be determined, independent, motivated, and have the need for success. It takes a lot of hard work to make a business work and you have to be willing to give it everything you have to make it work. Guest Stacey Hanson Strong Ethics In my opinion the characteristics that make a successful entrepreneur start with the individual being ethical in today's business world. Over the last decade people running small to large firms have at some point practiced unethical standards to gain success or momentum in today's business world. These unethical practices may include lying to employees, lying to customers about a product or service, or some sort of scheme to make millions. However, we as business managers working in today's market

must be ethical in the way we conduct our business practices. When we are ethical it allows us to gain the trust and respect from customers and gives us a competitive edge over the competition. When people believe we are trustworthy they will continue doing business with us. Also, I feel we have to have the "Competitive Fever" to be a successful entrepreneur. What I mean by this is we have to set "realistic" goals that can be achieved in short term, but these goals must also be factors in our Justin_Turner23

5 Key Traits of Great Leaders Discover the five things you can do to attract and retain outstanding employees. BY PATTY VOGAN | April 17, 2006| 0 inShare4 In the book, Lessons From the Top: The Search for America's Best Business Leaders, Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, made the following observation: "I think it's very difficult to lead today when people are not really truly participating in the decision. You won't be able to attract and retain great people if they don't feel like they are part of the authorship of the strategy and the authorship of the really critical issues. If you don't give people an opportunity to really be engaged, they won't stay." As an entrepreneur with employees, one of your primary goals is most likely to attract and keep motivated workers. So let's explore the five key traits that will help you become the kind of leader people love working for. Key Trait #1: You must have a vision. We've all heard the saying "You must stand for something, or you'll fall for everything." But what does that really mean? Standing firm when it comes to your

company's policies and procedures is all well and good, but it doesn't speak to having a vision. As a leader, you have to learn to communicate your vision or the vision of your company to the people you want to follow you. But how can you do that?
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Learn to paint a picture with words. Speak it, write it, draw it, touch it. Whatever methods you can use to create a picture, do it. As they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Ask each of the other managers in your company to tell you, in their own words, about the vision of the company. How close is it to what you thought they understood? Is your team on the same page as you? As you work, your company's vision should be in your mind every day, and you should reevaluate it occasionally so that it stays current with the changing times in which we live. And remember, your staff needs to be just as involved as you in keeping it up to date if you truly want them to buy in on the vision. Be sure to keep your key players involved.

Key Trait #2: You must have passion. Your employees want passion; in fact, they'll go to the ends of earth because of it, live and die for it. Think of the sailors who traveled with Christopher Columbus or Leif Ericsson to explore uncharted territory. Their leaders' passion inspired them to take on new and very dangerous challenges.

To build an extraordinary management team, you've got to light the "fire in their bellies," to get them to feel passion about the company and connect to the leader's vision. Passion is such a key part of being a great leader that if you don't have it, you simply can't be a great leader. Think of all the great leaders throughout the ages and try to name one that did not have passion. And passion is infectious: When you talk about your vision for the company, let your passion for your vision shine through. Others will feel it and want to get on board with you. If you don't have passion for your vision, you need to recreate your vision or reframe your description of your vision so it's connected to your passion.

Key Trait #3: You must learn to be a great decision maker. How are major decisions made in your company? What is your process for making them? For instance, do you talk to your management team and create a list of pros and cons to help you make the best decision? Maybe you conduct a cost analysis. Or do you create a timeline for the implementation strategy, process and timing? Some leaders have a set process, and others fly by the seat of their pants. But you don't want to be one of those leaders who consults no one before making a decision, announces the change the next day and then gets frustrated when no one follows it. If you're one of those, I urge you to implement a set process. In fact, here's a system you can use to become a better decision maker. It's called the Q-CAT:
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Q = Quick. Be quick but not hasty. C = Committed. Be committed to your decision but not rigid. A = Analytical. Be analytical, but don't over-analyze (Too much analysis can cause paralysis.) T = Thoughtful. Be thoughtful about all concerned, but don't be obsessive.

When you use the Q-CAT, it'll help you to decide when to bring others into the process and what steps need to be taken to help you make better decisions. Key Trait #4: You must be a team builder. To become a great leader, you must develop a great team or, one might say, a well-oiled machine. But how do you do that? You can start by handing off responsibility to your team and letting your team to run with it. Don't breathe down their necks and don't micromanage, but make yourself available if questions or problems come up. Teach your team to use the Q-CAT decision-making system and give them the freedom to work through their own decisions. When projects aren't on track or your team is falling behind on deadline, it serves no one if you start pointing fingers. This is when you need to rise to the occasion and inspire confidence in your employees, to let them know you support them and ready to help. Be ready to alter plans and make new ones. Don't forget to use humor to keep your team's spirits up during a crisis. When an emergency hits, your team will look to you to be a tower of strength and endurance. Key Trait #5: You must have character. Without character, all the other "keys" are for naught. That's because your innate character strengths and limitations play a critical role in your leadership style. The real question is, are you aware of just what role they play? All great leaders have taken steps to learn about their individual personality and what part it plays in their leadership style. So what's your leadership style? If you don't know, there are many leadership style assessments available on the market. Two popular ones that have been around for many years are the Myers-Briggs assessmentand the "360-Degree Feedback" model. There are dozens of other to choose from--the important part is that you "Just do it," as the Nike ad would say, and see how you rate. It's a good way to do a "character check" on yourself and your leadership skills.

Then, once you've done the assessment, the question to ask yourself is, do you feel your character matches what the assessments are pointing out to you? If you feel the traits don't match who you think you are, then look a little deeper and be honest with yourself. Sometimes our first response is defensive. You might want to assess yourself with a different type of profile and then compare the results. Within the 360 Degree Feedback model, there's an opportunity to see how your employees and peers view you, too. In learning to be a great leader, the first step is to be open to feedback about yourself as a leader and separate it from you the person. So are you a great leader? Or do you have the desire to become one? Remember, a great leader is someone who has a clear vision and can turn that vision into a vivid picture that others can see. When you speak about your vision, it should be with a passion you feel in your heart, a passion that creates so much enthusiasm that your team will want to jump on board. When major decisions need to be made, you should encourage everyone to use the Q-CAT system and be responsible for his or her own actions. And you should be continually assessing your own character and never stop growing, personally or professionally. If you can apply the five keys to great leadership, you'll be well on your way to becoming a great leader surrounded by great employees! Patty Vogan is owner of Victory Coaching, an executive coaching company for business and personal success, and a chairman for the largest CEO organization in the world, TEC International. She has over 15 years of experience in leadership management, team building, marketing and entrepreneurship, and is the author of two books. Her latest book,Waking Up in Tonga, will be available in December 2006.

What do Leaders and Successful Entrepreneurs Have in common? One of the all time popular topics for business people is to discuss what makes a good leader. What are the qualities of a leader and what distinguishes a leader from a follower? In all these characterizations it is the ability to look at what seems to be an unalterable situation, to envision a more promising scenario, and then as a leader to initiate action to create the world they imagine.

Here are seven common qualities that leaders and entrepreneurs exhibit. They are by no means allinclusive but are critically important behavioral characteristics. 1) Envision the world as it might be and enlist others in creating a SHARED VISION. As Albert Einstein identified, we will never solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. A vision of a new business, a new world, community, family or personal life pushes a leader into the not-knowing of how to get there, but a leader knows that together we will figure it out as we go along. 2) Cultivate ACTIVE INQUIRY know that you don t know no one does but know that collectively we know far more than the sum of our parts. ASK lots of questions of as many people as possible about what could be. Questions like What would it look like if .? or What would be happening if ? begin to color in details of the big picture outlined by our vision. 3) LISTEN INTENTLY to your own intuitions and to others. 4) EXPLORE EAGERLY Leaders don t assume that because somebody uses the same words that those words have the same meaning for them. Leaders ask more and more questions. What does that mean to you ? Would you give me an example ? What does it look like ? 5) TAKE ACTION FEARLESSLY Leaders know and understand that our basic human survival mechanism is fear. They assume most people are motified by fear and leaders talk about it. They ask questions about what would you fear if the undertaking is a success as well as if it is a failure. They then use what they learn to provide more information about moving forward. Then stay the course towards their intentions, while integrating feedback (more listening). 6) RISK GREATNESS Leaders ask, listen, explore, and take action, they are aware that a new path will often emerge which will take them individually and collectively farther and faster than most believe possible. They are always willing to risk and take a chance on greatness. 7) AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE Leaders are grateful for the learning that comes from whatever occurs. They harvest and express gratitude in every situation and use the learning to move forward.