To become a leader, you don’t necessarily have to be a CEO or an elected official. You have to be someone whom others want to follow consistently for new ideas and trends. A fancy title might make that possible temporarily, but you as a true leader can inspire steadfast loyalty by incorporating these 5 essentials.

1. Practice things you’re uncomfortable with

A majority of you willing to become a leader probably know what it takes to be one, but what’s stopping you from getting there right now is your fear of certain things: things that might include building stronger relationships, becoming a better spokesperson or pulling yourself out of your zone of comfort. Instead of running away from these things, start practicing them with either your friend or a mentor. All such things that make you uncomfortable will eventually make you stronger once you’ve achieved them.

2. Start believing you’re a leader

You often find yourself on the negative side of everything, isn’t it? You’re not strong enough in this or good enough at that. But, knowing all this can be comforting because it means that you can’t fail. If you already know you’re not good at something, then you won’t be surprised when it doesn’t get done. To lead, it becomes essential for you to start believing that you’re a leader and then act like one. Watch yourself in the mirror every morning and tell yourself that you’re here to lead.

3. Be confident in every situation

Keep your confidence level elevated at all times. Imagine yourself saying “I don’t know”, with you looking down, your legs fidgeting and your thumbs twiddling. And now picture yourself saying “I don’t know”, looking into the eyes of the speaker with your head up and shoulders back. Not knowing about something is absolutely fine …… just be confident while saying that you don’t know it. A little lack of knowledge doesn’t mean that you start questioning your ability to lead.

4. Turn yourself into an expert

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Possessing a certain amount of knowledge can instill great confidence in you and help you feel more leader-esque. While it’s true that you can manage without it, it’s only a matter of time before somebody with an extra charisma and knowledge comes along and clinches that title away from right under your feet. So in whatever department you are looking to lead, start enhancing your knowledge about it. It’ll definitely pay you off in the near future.

5. Take charge and be decisive

Picture this: You’re standing among your group of friends who are trying to decide what should be done on that night. Everyone is busy complaining, dawdling and ditching each other’s ideas until one of them finally takes the onus upon himself and says “Listen guys! We’re doing this tonight”. That person realized the situation required direction, stood up and took charge …… leader all the way. What you need to do is become that person.

So there you go! It’s time for you to lead.