Whether you are aware of it or not, on some level you are continually leading yourself and others. Consider these 11 tips for how to improve your leadership skills and think about ways you can implement them in your daily life at work.

1. Have a clear vision. Take the time to share your vision, your mission and your goals with your team. Your job as a leader is to provide a clear path that your team can follow. Your team also must understand why the goals you have set are valuable to them. Take the time to explain to them, in detail, why and how your vision will not only improve the business, but how it will benefit them in return.
2. Know and utilize your strengths and gifts. You have unique gifts, leadership skills you were born with and personal strengths you have developed over your lifetime. Realizing these gifts and strengths and applying them will assist you in being a formidable leader.
3. Be Passionate. Passion is one of the most important lead - ership skills! Great leaders have a genuine passion and enthusiasm for their projects. Start by thinking of different ways you can express your zeal. Let people know that you care about their progress. When one person shares something with the rest of the group, be sure to tell them how much you appreciate their contributions.
4. Live in accordance with your morals and values. Making choices aligned with your morals and values helps you succeed almost as effortlessly as key leadership skills. People sense integrity and will naturally respect your leadership.
5. Serve as a role model. The best leaders walk the walk and talk the talk. As a result, group members admire these leaders and work to emulate these behaviors. If you want to become a better leader, work on modeling the qualities that you would like to see in your team members.
6. Set definitive goals and follow concrete action plans You have to know your destination before you can map out a plan to get there. To improve your leadership skills, first set specific life goals with appropriate timelines. Design your goals by moving backwards from the end of your life to the present week. Then, formulate action plans you can commit to that will get you where you want to be.
7. Maintain a positive attitude. No one respects a grumpy or negative person. With a positive attitude, you are looking at the bright side of life. People are naturally attracted to others who have a positive attitude. By being positive, you will lead a happier life and surround yourself with other positive people.
8. Improve communication skills Having great leadership skills includes being able to clearly and specifically communicate your vision, goals, skills, intentions and expectations to others. It also includes listening to what other people have to say and how they are communicating.
9. Motivate others to greatness. The greatest leaders are those who em - brace everyone in their sphere of influence by recognizing each person’s unique value. To be one of these leaders, look beyond the obvious and see others with insight and compassion.
10. Admit failures and weaknesses and learn from them. Face it—no one is perfect. Everyone has made a mistake or two in their lives! The most successful leaders know that the key to success is not in avoiding falling or failing, but to learn from their mistakes. As a strong leader, you will also be able to communicate your weaknesses to your team, so that you and your team can determine who excels at that particular task or activity to balance the load.
11. Continue to educate and improve yourself. Great leaders not only demonstrate effective leadership skills but, most importantly, they continue to improve themselves in every possible way. The person who thinks he is an expert has a lot more to learn. Never stop learning. Be receptive to others’ perception and to information you glean from the world around you. Always grow and learn.

About the Author

Margaret Buj is an Interview and Career Acceleration Coach who specializes in helping professionals get any job they want at their best-ever salary.