How do you know that you are ready to become a leader? To answer this question, I will look at four ways highlighted by Michael Hyatt (former chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, USA).

When you long to make a difference. The status quo is not be the option for someone who wants to make an impact in life. We must leave our comfort zone and disrupt ourselves in order to live a life of significance. Mother Teresa longed a make a difference. She took a step of faith, left Skopje, Macedonia and moved to Calcutta in India where she set up hospices and homes to take care of the poor. As a leader, what actions are you ready to take to make a difference in life?

Your dreams are so big they seem impossible. Leaders must dream big! The point here is not to dream unrealistically. It is just to let us know that we need others to achieve our dreams. Do you have a dream? Are you willing to work with others to make this dream a reality?

You value relationships more than tasks. Leaders connect with the hearts of the people before they get their hands. Leading without relationships can be a lonely journey and we must avoid this as leaders. Is your leadership journey lonely? How is your relationship quotient with others?

You are a learner. Leaders are learners. They look for various means to add value to themselves. This could be by reading books, listening to podcasts, attending conferences and by asking other leaders lots of questions. What effort are you making as a leader to improve daily?

To conclude, effective leaders must continue to reflect and ask themselves the above questions as they progress in every stage of their leadership journey. Do you feel that longing to make a difference in life? Are your dreams big enough to look impossible? Do you see yourself valuing relationships more than tasks? Do you hunger and thirst regularly for knowledge? If your answer to one or more of these questions is yes, it endorses the fact that you are ready to lead!