We all have our own mentors – people who, in one way or another, have played a big role and influenced us in the way that we perceive things. All of us at one point in our lives have influenced those around us. If you want to be a better leader, you should be intentional about the way that you try to influence others.

The most important thing when influencing others is seek to truly want the best for those involved. Your success as a leader or part of a group, as well as in life in general, will depend on your ability to influence people and affect their lives in a positive way. To have a deeper understanding of how you can influence people in a positive or productive manner, think though these four points:

What is it that separates a boss from a great leader? How do you better lead even when you aren't in charge? It is important that we not only be able to lead others, but be willing to lead ourselves. No one achieves success alone and no one becomes successful by just following the crowd. Sometimes we simply must strike a bold new path for ourselves.

If you are like most people, you want to be great in your role. Everyone wants to progress forward in their career and get better along the way. The hard reality is, that the norm in business and in life is that if we aren’t intentional about trying to improve, we can stagnate and develop habits that make us ineffective. We want to lead, but we just end up managing. So what is the difference between a manager and a leader?

Does your business need a jumpstart? Is revenue low, morale declining, or are your leadership tactics no longer making an impact? This may be the perfect time to look into leadership coaching.An executive coaching program should do more than just set you up with a speaker reading over a PowerPoint presentation. A really great executive coaching program will help your senior leaders to better foster relationships, build strategy, and improve revenue and communications – all done in an environment where you can be creative, and think outside the box.

You probably know the myth of innovation as a sudden flash of insight that comes from nowhere. We read about that “aha” moment, or that light bulb turning on in the mind of some inventor or innovator, and this is true to an extent. Einstein really did get flashes of insight while shaving in the morning. However, he was, of course, working on the particular problems he had insight into, and he didn’t suddenly have ideas for new kitchen gadgets or movie plots.

Statistics show that, on average, U.S. companies lose half of their customers every five years. HALF! It’s true that acquiring new customers will help your business grow. However, your current customers are the lifeblood of your business and keeping them happy should be your highest priority. Here are six ways to make sure your customers keep coming back:

What does it take to be successful? Ask around and you will find different answers to the formula of success. The truth is, success leaves clues and you can achieve the success in the area you desire by observing the common qualities and principles. They are simple and considered to be common sense but most people simply do not follow them.

Two important pre-reading notes: Before you choose to read or not read this article, let me make two things clear: Everyone has Customers – even if you work in an internal staff department in a large firm, you have Customers. They are the people you to whom you provide work. And second, don’t be put off by the term Customer. Maybe you call them Clients, Students, Patients, or (heaven forbid!) Users. If one of those words works better for you, read that word every time you read Customer. Now that I have eliminated your reasons for not reading, please continue …

If you want to be number one in customer service, you have to do a number of things that make you stand out from the crowd. We put together seven ways that will put you on top and keep your customers coming back.

One of the most important factors in creating effective leadership is that of a leader’s personal attributes. This is a blend of knowledge, expertise, and competencies encapsulated in the approach and behavior of the leader. In organizations of all sizes and in all sectors, public and private, these characteristics are key to effective leadership.