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Guest post by: Ray Dodd Become an Author

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What makes an extraordinary leader? What qualities do powerful leaders have that inspire others and help them achieve a new level of excellence?

There have been many wonderful books written about leadership, with topics ranging from the best practices of leaders, to leadership styles that don't work, to ideas about leadership that once worked but are now out-of-date in today's world. With all the information available how can you identify the most effective ways to help you be a better leader?

Anthony Robbins, thegreat motivational speaker, says in his book, Awaken the Giant, "Leaders are those individuals who live by empowering beliefs and teach others to tap into their full capabilities by shifting the beliefs that have been limiting them".

A good leader should access all the knowledge available as a resource, but needs a solid foundation to support it. That foundation is a dedication to accountability, excellence, courage, and solid belief in yourself - authentic leadership. Leadership is not only about how we can get others to do things or move in a specific direction. Authentic leadership is an internal condition that is projected outward, a beacon radiating a positive environment for others to develop the very same leadership skills within themselves.

The greatest barrier to authentic leadership is what you believe about yourself. What you believe you can do and what you can't do. What is possible and what is impossible. The most significant obstacle to tapping into your own authentic leadership is what you say about yourself and everyone around you, culminating in an on-going story about how things are and how you are.

Our individual bias is a unique filter that shapes our personal virtual reality. A reality nurtured by the story we tell, day in and day out, explaining how everything is. Have you ever listened to your story? Really listened? Is it positive or is it filled with complaints about something or someone that stands in your way? Does your story contain assumptions and expectations about what should happen that undermines your ability to obtain the results you really want?

Authentic leadership starts with accountability. Total accountability for your interpretation of everything you experience, moment by moment. Things don't always go the way we want them to and sometimes they don't go well at all, but the decisions we make about what happens to us and around us is based on what we agree to believe.

Accountability is the prime element in the foundation of effective leadership. Another word for accountability is responsibility. It's often a word that has a negative connotation - if its your responsibility it's heavy. If you are responsible you are to blame.

But there is another way to look at responsibility. It's your ability to respond. EMBRACE that and you embrace your personal power. If you are accountable for every reaction, every interpretation, every choice, and every perception - then you are completely empowered. When you see that you choose what to believe, you will discover that you have the power to create a new reality, a personal bias that brings out your own excellence and the same excellence in everyone around you. When you discover that each obstacle - whether it is other people, the place you live, the job market, the economic landscape or the industry you work in - is a gift offering you a new opportunity to develop empowering beliefs, you will begin to adopt the mantle of authentic leadership. Leadership starting with yourself impacting everyone around you. An extraordinary level of leadership made possible by understanding the true power of belief.

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