This article will address my personal feelings on what leadership is. He will then discuss the characteristics that make up a great leader. Next, I will evaluate my strengths and weaknesses as an effective leader against my list of great leadership traits. Finally, I will end with a plan on how I will improve as a leader. Leadership is a difficult word to define. Leadership has had so many different meanings over the centuries. My personal definition is: “Leadership is a positive process that helps followers move in the right direction so that they can eventually achieve their goals.” »1. Visionary – All great leaders have the ability to visualize a future for their company and are able to chart a path that will make that vision a reality. This skill is essential for a leader because it allows a CEO to take his or her company to new heights where it has never reached before. Vision is a crucial part of a leader’s repertoire. A leader who does not have the ability to see the future with their business in mind will lose their competitive edge and turn into a manager who only works to keep their business afloat. According to authors V. Anfara Jr. and K. Brown, “regardless of the type of organization or conception of leadership, a vision of what the organization should be seems essential to success, especially in turbulent times.” . (Anfara, 2003) Without the aid of a vision, other forms of business growth are inhibited. It is therefore imperative that a leader has the courage to take the plunge and follow their vision in order to ensure the success of the company.2. Motivator – Motivation is a major factor in how people are able to achieve their goals and dreams in the workplace amid Portland area paper universities. Another way to develop my skills is to do volunteer work that requires leadership on the job site. Finally, I can take a job teaching tennis to children. Believe it or not, leading a group of small children is a great test of leadership ability. During my personal odyssey, I have discovered that leadership is a positive process that helps followers move in the right direction so that they can eventually achieve their goals. This personal definition has helped define the criteria for an effective leader who has proven to be a knower, a motivator, a risk-taker, a great communicator, a person of integrity and a visionary. Unfortunately, I realized that I did not have all of these qualities to the extent that I felt necessary to be a perfect leader. Now that I realize this, I can work on my weaknesses and improve my leadership skills..