I have read articles and books on leadership. I have even taken courses on leadership. I am not by any means an expert on leadership. However, I have been working in corporate America at a very young age. I have only experienced four jobs changes in my lifetime, by choice. In each job position I had a boss or a leader, some were good and others lacked certain skills or traits that could possible push them to the next level of leadership. So, I started thinking is it possible to learn leadership? You can take the classes and read books on leadership but one needs to know how to properly implement what was taught or read. Does a great leader have the ability to deliver properly what he/she is trying to convey? Having the title “Leader” does not make someone a leader, to me it just means someone was given the title for a specific reason or to complete a task. It is my understanding that interpersonal skills, communication and confidence go hand and hand in leadership. In the book Leader Effectiveness Training by Dr. Thomas Gordon, he talks about interpersonal skills being what new leaders need to develop and/or improve. Interpersonal skills are also referred to as people skills, when a leader is able to get along with others and successfully communicate with his/her team or coworkers. Being an active listener instead of a passive listener is one attribute of a good leader. A skill of a good leader is when he/she has the ability to not own the team’s problems but assist in helping them find a solution to solving the problem themselves. This gives the team/individual pride and confidence in their ability to solve issues and address any possible hurdles that might follow. In addition, there is an article in Business Leadership regarding leadership traits called, “7 Personality Traits of a Great Leader” by Jim Rohon. Mr. Rohon breaks down these traits with simple descriptions to understand how they fit a great leader. After reading this article I concluded that deliverance of communication is key for a great Leader. A great leader can be taught certain skills but if he/she lacks proper communication skills, then their deliverance falls flat. Some skills work well for some and not for others. But, as Mr. Rohon put it “The fundamental skills can be adopted to work well for about everyone whether at work, in the community or at home.” Leaders should be knowledgeable about their teammates strengths and weakness; in order, to properly utilize the individual’s strength for them to succeed and possibly learn from others to expand their knowledge. In my opinion, at some point in our lives we all have been a leader, whether it’s at home taking care of the children or just running the household, in school doing a group project, babysitting some else’s children, etc. There is a time where one has experienced being a leader and it probably didn’t seem like it at the time. That is why knowing what makes a great leader is important because it effects all aspects of one’s life. A great leader is an individual that knows who his/her team members are and can communicate to them the mission or vision of the company or project at hand. Leaders need to know where the company or project is going, in order, to properly assist the team in moving in the right direction. When the leader communicates to the team he/she should show knowledge and confidence in the subject they are dealing with. The leader should not be rude or self-centered for this will make them unapproachable. If a team member feels they cannot approach their leader then the leader needs to improve his/her communication and deliverance skills. It is not easy for a person to find flaws in themselves. However, leaders should be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and improve on those skills. In conclusion leaders need to have a positive attitude and positive reinforcement which can lead to increase productivity. Sources: Rohon, Jim. 7 Personality Traits of a Great Leader. Business Leadership, May 2017, web http://www.success.com/article/rohn-7-personality-traits-of-a-great-leader. Accessed 9 Aug. 2017. Dr. Gordon, Thomas. Leader Effectiveness Training: The Proven Model for Helping Leaders Bring Out the Best in Their People. The Berkley Publishing Group, 2011.