Did you ever play the game follow the leader when you were younger? Perhaps you still play it without even knowing it. Leadership, I think is one of the most important characteristics required for creating an extraordinary life and living up to your true potential. Leadership is not what most people think it is. It is not a skill and it is not a role, but it is a decision. True leaders are followed automatically. They do not exert effort or try to be followed. It just happens spontaneously. Leadership is infectious. Not only does it inspire people to action it also draws people to ‘it’. The main reason why you would want to become a leader is to have the ability to lead yourself. Leading your own life and steering your own course - being able to decide and take command of every life situation. Now hat is true leadership! Followers wait for things to happen. They wait for others to decide for them and if things go wrong at least they can say that it was someone else’s fault. These people will always have someone to blame. They will always have a scapegoat. The problem, however is that they will always feel like their lives are out of control because, it is. They are not responsible for their own lives. When you are a leader you don’t have to wait for anyone or anything outside yourself before you do what you want and go for what you desire. Leaders simply lead the way by being decisive. Leadership is a state of mind and it is something that you assume by making a decision. Either you have a plan for your life or life has a plan for you. You either take charge and make it happen or you can wait for life to give you the ‘have to’s’. Leading yourself enables you to not wait for life to give you the reasons before you make the decision or make the shift. You have the power because you’ve assumed your power to be a leader. Leaders are able to inspire and motivate and being able to inspire and motivate yourself will probably be the greatest shaper of what you become and what you make of your life. You will find that as you start to ‘lead your own life’ you will automatically attract people to you that will support your endeavors and help you accomplish what you set out to do. Leaders are magnetic and have the power to draw people to them because they make things happen. Ann Landers once said that there are only three types of people: those who make things happen, those who wait for things to happen and those who said ‘what happened?’ Which one are you? Which one do you want to be? Remember that leaderships starts by having the desire to be in control and then simply deciding that you will lead and not follow the ‘affairs of your life.’ You can assume this incredible privilege to be a leader by starting to think of yourself as that. Think of, and dwell upon the idea of yourself as someone who makes things happen; as someone who leads and directs their own life. Affirm to yourself ‘I am a leader, I will lead not follow.’ Do it often until it becomes part of who you are and how you define yourself (to yourself). Become the conductor of the symphony of your life. Life is moving and time will most certainly pass. You can either ‘go with the flow’ or put both oars in the water and start rowing your own boat and create the life you want instead of the one that just shows up. This article is published with the permission of the author, Deon Du Plessis. He is the founder of The Self Improvement Gym, and author of (in)action, a groundbreaking new action guide for eliminating procrastination. Visit http://www.selfimprovement-gym.com for more information Related Articles - leadership, leader, influence, influencing, management, manager, lead,

There are many advantages to owning a portal dog kennel. One of these advantages is that it meets the needs of those who travel quite often. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, no one likes to leave their dogs caged up in some strange dog kennel, both because of the price and other personal feelings people may have about them. A portable dog kennel allows you to simply load the kennel into the back of your truck or SUV and take off with your pooch as a passenger. The benefits to owning your own personal portable dog kennel are also benefits for your pet as well. No doubt you care about the safety and comfort of your pet, so choosing to purchase a portable dog kennel would be ideal for both animal and master. The dog gets to have the comfort and familiarity of riding with its owner and the owner has the reassurance that the animal will be treated in a loving and caring way. Of course another advantage to having your own portable dog kennel is the portability that it offers. Whether you’re going for a swim, out with friends, or even washing your SUV, you’ll have the knowledge that your pet is safe and secure while you go about your business as you would at home with your pet. Other small benefits of having one are carrying handles to make it easier to transport your pet from location to location with minimal physical strain on your part as well as the rust-proof steel which most portable dog kennels are made out of so it will last you a long time. If your buy the type of portable dog kennel that is an enclosed space made from chain link fence, you’ll receive the benefits of having your pet sleep and spend his time in a safe environment while you relax and do what you always do at home without worrying a single moment about your pet. These are especially useful to people that, while they certainly love their pet, do not wish to make it an indoor pet and rather keep it outside, but still keeping it safe and secured. As far as pricing goes, you can pick up a small portable dog kennel used for transporting your pet in the back of your truck or SUV for anywhere from thirty to a little over sixty dollars, depending on the size of the portable kennel. Larger chain link fences that you would put in your backyard range from about one hundred to a little less than two hundred dollars. It would be wise to invest in one of these wonderful inventions for not only your own practical purposes, but also for your dog’s as well. We all love our pets and want the absolute best care for them, and portable dog kennels encapsulate all of the above to keep your mind at ease regarding your dog’s comfort and safety and also provides convenience and practicality for your needs as well. Scott Byers is the owner of Dog Kennel Info, a complete portable dog kennel resource with articles on dog kennels that you need to read. Related Articles - dog, kennel, dog kennel, dogs,