Since we were children, we have seen leadership in action. A courageous young child decides that she will be the captain of the kickball game; she stands up proudly and takes control. There is a raw quality to his leadership, alliances being made and broken. If his team wins, cheers abound. If her team loses, it may be the last time she selects players. Although this is anecdotal and elementary, it is perhaps one of the first examples of leadership I have seen. Some of these so-called leaders became tyrants and others became popular kids. One thing is certain, from our experiences over time, we begin to see ourselves in each of these 2 extremes. We learn the leadership traits that we carry with us into our careers. The article, Leadership Concepts, defines and examines leadership traits as elements, not stages. I like this model; I can integrate elements into my leadership to create a natural leadership style. While the steps lead to a process that feels forced and demanding. Don Clark's article, Leadership Concepts, examines many of these elements and while they are all useful, I found five that stood out to me. The first being “Know my subscribers” (p. 3). I need to know what the team needs to succeed. I need to understand what motivates each person individually as well as what motivates the team. Second, I must “know who I am” (p. 3). It is not enough to know the elements of leadership; I need to know what my own strengths and opportunities for growth are. The third element of leadership is to “seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions” (p. 6). I learned early on that when I admit to others that I have missed something, I immediately become aware of the need to be in the middle of paper......me a leader who inspires and influences constantly those around me. Don Clark's article immediately begins by talking about leadership theories; is the leader made or born? He believes that leaders are made. While I agree with him, I also believe that each of our personalities determines the struggles and triumphs we will have in developing the effective leader within ourselves. Just like the young child who volunteers to start the game of kickball; she will quickly learn her own strengths and opportunities for growth. His first attempt at leadership and the reception from his teammates could very well encourage his future leadership roles. Works Cited Buckingham, M. & Clifton, D. (2001). Now discover your strengths. New York, NY: The Free Press. Clark, D.R. (1995). Retrieved April 29, 2011 from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.html