If being a leader means that you have the ability to inspire others to follow you, then the next logical question is how do you become a leader? To become a leader you need a foundation of skills that include:

• The three components of leadership
• Understanding your area of influence
• Your attitude towards your staff
• The Inverted Pyramid
• Knowing your teams responsibilities and goals
• Knowing when to be a follower
• Making sure your people succeed
• Knowing How to Delegate and set goals
• Management by walking around
• Sharing successes
• Creating winners

Each of these skills and concepts is relatively easy to understand and apply. In addition, each can be used independently; you can start putting each one into practice and seeing the benefits right away.

I am approaching these concepts from a business or management point of view but they work in every other setting of influence. If I want to be effective in inspiring my children I need to remember these skills. If I want to train my new dog I need to remember these skills (Who would have thought that training dogs and inspiring kids have anything in common). If I want to honour the bride and groom at a wedding and inspire the audience to hold them in high regard I need to remember these skills. No matter what leadership I set out to undertake, I need to remember these skills.

You can think of your abilities as part of a toolbox. Each skill that you learn is like adding a new tool. Although you may be able to accomplish much more with a tool that you didn't previously have (such as a hammer), it won't prepare you for every situation (such as a hammer does not make a good cutting tool). There is a wise saying - "If the only tool you have is a hammer then you will see every problem as a nail".

Learn as many skills as you can so you can deal with nails, knots, burrs, and rough spots.

Putting it into Practice

We will be discussing each of these skills in subsequent articles - but for now let me share a little about myself. I am a person who loves to research and gather information. If I grab hold of a topic, I want to know every last detail of it. I won't stop reading, researching, and investigating.

Of course there is both a positive and a negative side to this behaviour. I am certainly thorough and I will know every last detail of the topic. Unfortunately I am also subject to "paralysis by analysis." I often feel that I need to learn just a little bit more about the topic at hand before I can act, just in case I run into a rather obscure situation.

Not everyone over analyzes a subject, but most people do have trouble implementing new head knowledge into real life situations. They have difficulty modifying their behaviour. I suggest that this is because the majority of us have difficulty moving out of our comfort zones.

Why would we want to? After all, it's so comfortable there.

We may find knowledge about leadership interesting in an academic way and we may find we can implement a few small changes but when a difficult situation arises we tend to revert back to those ways that we feel comfortable with.

Make a commitment to yourself now to get back on track to being a leader whenever you find yourself reverting to your old comfortable ways. If you do this, it won't be long before your new skills become your habits.

Changing habits and behaviours is a subject for a book unto itself. However these suggestions may help you get started.

• You don't need to know everything about a subject to start using the skills that you are learning.

• You can experiment with the skills. Start by making small changes.

• Rather than reacting to situations, work on becoming consciously aware of your thoughts and reactions. Then you can start to choose your behaviour and observe the results in others.

• Teach and share the skills with others. As you explain them to others you will gain a deeper insight into them yourself. You have to understand them in order to teach them. You will also take ownership of them and start applying them so that you will be consistent with what you are teaching.

In short, just do it… And you will become a great motivator.