Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 Workbook

You can cultivate 10 essential leadership qualities.

Leaders must master 10 core skills, a quest that demands both diligent professional effort and personal growth. To improve your capacity in these areas, ask yourself some hard questions – and then answer them.

1. Influence – Becoming a leader and gaining authority is hard work.    

People tend to make a few false assumptions on the way to becoming leaders. The first is, “I’m not a born leader.” Actually, almost no one is. Leadership is a learned skill, and anyone who embraces self-development can become a leader regardless of background or circumstances.

Some people think they’ll become leaders without making an effort. They believe just hanging around in the company and accumulating seniority is an automatic ticket to leadership. But seniority doesn’t align with influence or authority, unless you build up your ability to lead. So who advances to leadership positions? Almost always, it’s the people who’ve worked hard to prepare for leadership and to become better at it. How important is making yourself ready to lead...