What does it take to get ahead at work? Working hard? Pulling in huge profits and sales? Spending hours and hours in the office, forsaking holidays and weekends, and completely ignoring all signs of illness? It depends what type of company or people you are working for, really. But one thing that really makes people sit up and take notice of you is if you are assertive, if you take charge, and you successfully steer a project to a completion. In short, if you exhibit strong leadership qualities.

The word "leader" makes a lot of people think that it's all about being in a higher position: department head, manager, supervisor, director, etc. But it actually goes beyond that. There are many people who land those positions without fully grasping what leading truly entails. Then you might have also known people who are capable of leading, but aren't in a leadership position. There are also people who are recognized for exhibiting stellar leadership skills and are placed right at the top of a group or company at the same time.

Clearly, leadership isn't just reserved for those in higher positions, and rank-and-file employees should of course aim to develop leadership skills as well. Not only will this serve them well at work, but will also have a positive impact on their lives. You never know when you'll be called upon to take charge, so you should always be prepared for the responsibility.

The most evident offshoot of developing your leadership skills is that it positions you as a strong candidate for future promotions at work. But you should look beyond where your career is going and should instead take a close look at how you are growing as a worker. When you improve your leadership skills, you get a clearer idea how organizations and companies work, and how people behave. You'll develop a better understanding of how certain issues affect the workplace, and learn how you can assist in resolving matters.

If you are aiming to be a better leader, don't just think of how you can become the executive director or president of the company someday. You should think of how you can improve the way the company works, how you can reach your goals, and how to keep everyone satisfied. That's what leadership is all about.

So how can you become a good leader? First, be inspired by the leaders you have always admired. Don't forget to be on the lookout for real-life models of good leadership; you can profit from their example. You should also keep an eye out for examples of poor leadership so you know what type of behavior to avoid as well. Always read up on leadership as well as the right characteristics to develop in order to succeed.

If you're willing to invest more time, effort, and money into yourself, you can always take leadership training courses as well. These will put you in better touch with yourself as well as redefine any misconceptions you might have held about leadership. At the same time, you will get some hands-on exercises to hone your leadership capabilities.

Whoever is providing leadership needs to be as fresh and thoughtful and reflective as possible to make the very best fight. - Faye Wattleton

The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority. - Kenneth Blanchard

A great leader's courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position. - John Maxwell

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. - John Quincy Adams

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. - John F. Kennedy