The key to leadership remains influence. What kind of a leader are you and how do you deliberately model your leadership to achieve desired impact on those you influence or you seek to influence?

The key to success in any area of life is to first know and master the area of focus. Cures to disease have been found, since time immemorial, by studying how the body functions as well as how the disease affects the sick. Seek depth in knowledge and research.

Numerous studies have proven that physical health and longevity are linked to eating a balanced diet, maintaining proper weight, exercising regularly, abstinence and proper sexual conduct, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, maintaining a clean and hygienic living and working environment, knowing and keeping track of your health status all the time. How do you rate yourself on all these?

Whilst a level playing field cannot be guaranteed, one thing that is guaranteed is your fair share of challenges. It’s not a matter of IF they come, but WHEN you will encounter them.

You will need a great deal of self-discipline not to lose your sense of balance, humility, and commitment.

When catering for your spiritual needs make sure that you authenticate the capacity and qualification of the person or people you allow access to your spiritual being. Being careless in this regard is as dangerous as allowing an untrained person to treat you or operate on you to address a medical condition. While the bush-doctor kills your body, the false spiritual leader will destroy body, soul and spirit. Therefore use your belief’s spiritual standard, not a merely mental or intellectual standard, to get spiritual help.

You have to accept all sides of yourself – there’s no point fighting them – just learn how to handle them, and return to the positive, balanced being you know you can be, once the winds have blown through.

A life that lacks physical exercise and activity leads to lethargy and promotes sickness of both body and mind. Exercise is important because it helps the heart, lungs, muscles and brain to be more efficient in their use of oxygen. Take personal responsibility over what you can control – it’s your life.

Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit in you? How helpful and creative are you in solving challenges? Have you attained communication and negotiation excellence status? Can you effectively market yourself and your service/product? How effective are you at selling your vision? The answers will determine how far your influence will go.

Benchmark against the top performing movers and shakers in your game. What are the skills required to achieve excellence in your area of specialty as a leader? How are you managing your vision and mission? Do you demonstrate a life lived with clear goals and targets? How are you providing direction, influence and developing others to lead? What is the evidence of the good leadership of your team?