Some people say leaders are born, not made. I disagree. Ive found there are lots of latent leaders out there who just need to acquire and polish some skills before they can be successful in a leadership role.

One common misconception is that leaders have to bully others into doing things. But the leaders I admire most motivate through caring and inspiration rather than by bullying. These leaders put people first. Heres what I mean:

Tina was promoted to a management role in her company. Although she knew exactly what her department had to do and how to do it, she had a terrible time getting her staff focused. Tina could do the tasks herself in fact her performance got her the promotion but she stumbled when she had to explain things to others.

Each of Taras staff members had their own way of doing things. Some of these methods were inefficient, and the lack of continuity and consistency created big gaps in the customer experience. Business was hurting, but staff members didnt understand what Tina wanted. Tinas biggest challenge in her new position was giving clear direction.

Leaders need to work through others, to delegate. To be successful at delegating you need to be able to:

1. Explain what needs to be done and how to do it

2. Set and communicate reasonable goals

3. Assess results

The first of these skills boils down to giving good direction. A good way to do this is to put yourself in the other persons shoes. Ask yourself: What is his background? What has she done? What does he know? Now, use your grasp of the persons knowledge, background, and experience to explain what you want done. Good delegators explain things so the person receiving the direction clearly understands it.

Tina took the time to get to know and understand each person in her department. She used this knowledge to tailor her approach. It took up-front effort but once her department staff understood Tinas expectations, they began working together smoothly.

The one-on-one time she took had unanticipated benefits, too. Staff members felt good about the individual attention they received. This personal treatment showed that Tina cared about staff members AS PEOPLE. They were more to her than expendable cogs. Department morale improved and so did productivity.

Because Tina put people first and treated staff members as individuals, she earned their respect. The bottom line? She wound up with the hardest-working, most productive team in the company.

To become the kind leader YOU want to follow, start by putting people first. Show that you value others by investing time with them. Understand them so you can provide good direction. Help them feel good about themselves and their contributions. Youll be paid back with hard work, support and respect.

To find out more about good leadership skills, visit Wendi Moore-Buysse's website www.wendimoore.com to get her book, "Everyday Leadership: Become the Leader You Want to Follow."