There are many great books out on the market about leadership. Several provide insights on how to set and achieve goals and become successful in the business world. Yet, if there were five things you could learn right now to strengthen your leadership abilities and get closer to making your business dreams a reality, would you take the time to evaluate them for yourself?

    Leadership involves many things: the ability to create a strong vision, adapting to change, risk taking, effective communication, and strong values.

    On Vision - For a company to be truly successful, a shared vision must be in place. A team has no choice but to believe in their leader’s vision. Strong leaders communicate their ideas with passion so that others become energized.

    Vision must precede strategy in any organization for it to be successful. Creating a vision involves deciding where the company must go and communicating what the destination looks like. A strategy is the plan that will be used to get there. For a vision to take hold, it must be precise and striking. An organization can only be successful over time with the full support of its people.

    On Change - Life is about adapting to constant change. The same holds true in business. Effective leaders accept this fact and embrace it. Once they realize that change is needed in an organization, they learn to manage it and communicate their ideas to their team. Asking the question, “what business are we really in?” is essential when a company is in the midst of enormous change and all the ground rules are being challenged.

    Transitions can only be accomplished successfully by open discussion. Strong leaders understand the importance of discussing changes in a direct manner. Employees need mentors who are reliable, trustworthy and organized.

    On Risk Taking - Leadership is about taking well-planned risks. Strong leaders instinctively know that mistakes will happen on the path to success. They don’t shy away from this fact. They deal with difficulties as they arise. Leaders also plan for possible failure and take necessary steps to rectify a situation.

    Mistakes help us understand what business practices ‘not’ to repeat in the future. They lead to the analysis of whether a particular decision was made at the most appropriate time.

    Risk taking provides a greater awareness of what works and what doesn’t. By taking risks, leaders are drawn closer to success. It doesn’t matter how many times they’ve failed, so long as they took the time to evaluate each experience.

    On Communication - Well-articulated statements, good social etiquette and effective presentation skills only touch upon the scope of communication. Words mean nothing unless they reach the people who hear them. Great leaders know how to communicate in ways that motivate others to produce results. For example, they encourage others to stand up for what they believe in and state it clearly to whom ever is involved.

    Avoiding the discussion of difficult issues is not an option. This is always a big mistake because it allows too much room for anticipating the worst. Bad news will not disappear over time and this is why communicating early is important.

    Great communication goes beyond the simple functions of speaking and writing. It is the result of a leader’s ability to address important issues, encourage others to act on those issues and develop others’ confidence to make important decisions on their own.

    On Values - Much of what we learn stems for our earlier experiences at home. Our mothers may have taught us to stay open and learn from each experience. Our fathers may have taught us to take work seriously, but never ourselves. Regardless of where we learn these lessons, they are important and impact us for life.

    Clearly determined values are the foundation of the success of corporate leaders. When work pressures rise, the abilities of a leader are tested. An effective leader is able to communicate his expectations by his words and actions. Values are not ‘soft issues’; they outweigh long working hours, effective marketing strategies and pay incentives.

    To ensure that an organization adheres to certain values, leaders take the time to reward others’ accomplishments - rather than make their ‘mistakes’ the primary focus. People are the number one resource of a company. They should be valued the most.

    Effective leadership is typically learned from different life experiences: parental influence, grade school, part-time work, extra-curricular activities in university, and corporate mentors. Being open to opportunities at unexpected times is the key to opening doors to other linked opportunities. Success is not guaranteed to those who have leadership abilities alone. Finding the right opportunity is required.

    Great leaders create opportunities to demonstrate what they can do. Being called upon to organize projects at work, to deliver an impromptu speech before a committee or to handle an unforeseen crisis, for instance, displays true leadership skills. Leaders are ready to demonstrate what they are made of when least expected.

    Nicole Attias is a published writer who helps business professionals write speeches, articles, newsletters, proposals & book reviews. She also holds training seminars on presentation skills & team building. Contact her at 416.221.0817 or email nicoleattias@aol.com