Quora Answer: How Do I Develop Leadership Skills?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “How do I develop leadership skills?”

Leadership is a skill that cannot be learned in a class.  You cannot find it in videos online, or in seminars, or in textbooks.  You develop leadership by surrounding yourself with the correct characters, and developing the values of a leader.  And then, you take ownership of things, and assert yourself.  You begin with something small, and as you gain experience, you head bigger things, and lead larger groups of people.

Leadership is built on the foundations of integrity, trust and controlled aggression.  A leader must be seen to lead, must articulate a vision so that people feel part of the whole picture, and must take responsibility for failure.  No person who runs away from failure can be a leader.  As such, a leader must embrace his failures, and rise from them.

Leaders must also have convictions and values, and these values must be iron.  If he can bend easily to the crowd, then he is not a leader, but a follower masquerading as a leader.  Leadership involves making difficult decisions, and taking unpopular positions, if that would advance the cause or the project.  This involves a certain sense of self-assurance, mental strength, and the ability to function under stress.  The best leaders are sociopaths, so even if you are not, take on that mindset to complete tasks.