You lead when you motivate others to accomplish a common goal. Our everyday experience and numerous surveys show that leadership skills are highly valued. Many, perhaps most, people are called upon to lead at some time or another.
Within PerfectCoaches, leadership can be thought of as a set of best practices, a behavioral stack. For example, delegation is a key leadership skill, so ask yourself if your To-do list includes delegating tasks to others. Leaders usually understand the point of view of others, and that is a general best practice.
Whereas sales, management, and customer service usually involve persuading one person at a time, leadership involves persuading whole groups, corporations, or even entire nations. Leadership skills are important just about everywhere: in business, government, the world of volunteer and non-profit work, even the day-to-day world of family and social life.
Focused awareness of self, the views of others, and the precise nature of the situation improves leadership. Whether you make a suggestion, delegate a task, or set the pace for activity, be mindful of how you help define a goal that the group then accomplishes. One overall theme that the biographies of all great leaders stress is the value of simply staying focused on the ultimate goal, to lead and influence the thoughts and actions of others.