Am I ready to be a leader?

What attracts people to leadership positions? Is it the power that can be wielded? Is it the prestige and recognition that comes with reaching the upper echelons? Given the image many leaders have these days, it seems that responsibility, humility and the search for excellence are not among the virtues that are given priority to. I think that so much effort goes into getting to the top that leaders sometimes forget that with power comes great responsibility and not just personal gain. Being a leader requires making the vision a reality and taking responsibility for the failures as well as the challenges that may stand in the way of attaining success. Overcoming the difficulties requires a lot of self-knowledge and self-control to ensure that our personal demons don't get in the way of resolving the issues at hand. In this sense, as leaders we must keep an eye on:

• Our leadership style.
• Our criteria for decision making.
• The implementation of the vision.
• Measuring our progress.
• The participation of stakeholders.
• Selling our ideas.
• Communication.
• Ethics.