In order to be a leader, you must act like a leader. It is possible that you could find yourself in the position of leadership, but you truly will not be a leader until you begin to act like one. Leadership is a difficult and challenging role and must be given great consideration or else you will fail.

It is possible that you are now a leader because you own business or you have been assigned a task by your superiors. If this is the case, it is most important that you consider deeply how it is that a leader should act, if you do not it is quite possible that you will not be able to accomplish your goals. Not acting correctly as a leader can have dire consequences; you could fail and perhaps totally kill a project, ‘monkeywrench’ your career, and even thwart your business.

In order to become a good leader and therefore act like good leader, think of these characteristics has your guide:

• Think that you can positively shape your life. Leaders must have confidence in themselves and in their abilities, they must believe that they have the power and the skill to create a positive life for themselves. A leader must know first and foremost that he can change his life for the better before he tries to involve himself in the life of others.
• Leader lead through good dealings instead of trying to control. This means that a leader must be empathic, and his relations with others must be based on his or her deep understanding of the other person. Control is always a sign of fear and is therefore a sign of weakness. Others will challenge this weakness.
• Leaders cooperate instead of trying to overpower. Making people do anything is a negative practice and one that will not last very long before someone standups up to challenge your authority. Leaders lead by creating passion and camaraderie, instead of trying to belittle and overcome.
• Leaders motivate others to contribute instead of ordering them to. By realizing that the people in your team are your resource and must be used in the best way possible, a leader soon realizes that the best way to get the best from his people is by positive motivation. If you order someone to do something then you will at best get the minimum from them, but if you motivate them in the right way they will give you the best that they have. If you can’t positively motivate others to contribute and give you their best, then whatever task you are trying to accomplish is destined to fail.
• Leaders get others to follow them through respect. If you try to get others to do something because you think that you are entitled, as a leader, then you are truly not a leader you are just a spoiled brat. In order to have others follow you, you must set yourself up as he example that others will look up to. Leaders must get others to like them or at least respect them by showing their team that they are worth this respect.

Good leadership takes talent and personal training on your part. It can be given to you or thrust upon you but it does not mean that you are actually a leader; it just means that you are put there through circumstance. To become a good leader you must learn to act like a leader, if you do not then you will fail and whatever task that you were performing will fail. Learn to act like a leader and you will not fail yourself and others.