In life, you’re either a leader or a follower.

Followers do what others are doing, they are average and live life the way they are told to. They let things happen instead of working on achieving ambitious goals, they let toxic people in their life instead of being surrounded by successful individuals.

Leaders, on the other hand, are the ones that leave a mark in the world and make it a better place. They don’t need to be famous, or to even do big things. It’s about who they are and how they decide to spend their days, it’s their attitude towards others and their reaction to the bad things that happen in life that makes them who they are.

You too can be a leader. You can contribute, leave a legacy, find meaning in your life and inspire others at the same time. And all that can happen by following the right path for you, choosing wisely what to say no to, hustling and constantly improving yourself.

Here are some of the things that will turn you into one:

Find and follow your passion.

A leader is a person whose life is dedicated to something that’s beyond himself, but which is also what he does best and what he loves.

Successful people and those we look up to find that one thing they’re born to do early on. That’s the hard part, though.

With so many distractions around it’s really difficult to open your eyes for what you really want, to connect with your true self and ask yourself some deeper questions. You need to forget what others are telling you, to stop following the crowd and to turn to self-analysis instead.

Find your passion and make time for it daily. It’s the one thing you can do for hours that gives you pleasure and makes you feel alive. It could be anything, and you’re the only one who can find it.

Once you do, find a way to help others while doing it.

Writers write because they love the craft, it’s just in their nature and it’s a therapy at the same time. But together with that, their work makes them money, inspires generations and is a legacy for when they are gone.

That’s just one simple example but you get the point. Find what you love doing, master it, do it all the time, turn it into your career, design your lifestyle around it and let that make a difference out there.

Give more.

Leaders work harder than what’s expected, they give value to others and share anything they can, be it advice, positive vibes, kindness, or material stuff.

Giving is the best investment because the moment you start doing it from the bottom of your heart – without expecting anything in return – you start receiving more and live in abundance.

Learn and grow.

A leader is created daily and that process never stops. They are lifelong learners and consume information daily. They find a lesson in everything, learn from their mistakes, listen to the advice of those wiser than them, and read more than they speak.

This helps them grow spiritually and mentally and is part of their personal development, but is also what expands their horizons, grows their vision and lets them find a solution to anything.

It’s not hard to be a leader. That too will feel natural once you start living like one. Don’t be afraid to dream big. Stop living in the past or trying to predict the future. Be here, now, work on yourself and become the role model those around you will ask for advice soon.

Leadership is a matter of choice. But you need to start today and practice daily.

What’s the first thing you’ll do to become a great leader?