Someone recently asked me if I thought I was a leader.

If so, did I emerge as one or was I born as one.

I chuckled and answered, “I definitely had to be born as one for the reason that no one has offered me a leadership job that I didn’t work hard to obtain. However, I might have emerged as one through training and education.”

I am the oldest of four and have always felt it was my ‘job’ to be responsible and in charge — so to speak — of my siblings. I have always worked more than one job and believed that I would be successful if I accomplished many things.

Yet, accomplishments can be controlled by others. Therefore, I personally believe great leaders do not need a title; they shine no matter where they are.

The word ‘leader’ can fall into so many categories. One can be the leader within a home, a school, a business, or even a community. The majority of leaders is known by a title or a position. They are generally quite visible and have followers. They are known to have many responsibilities that require them to get things done. They often seek ways to make a difference.

Good leaders establish goals and abide by an organization, group, or family mission. They also tend to focus on performances and results.

Effective leaders are known to welcome diversity and don’t mind working with different types of personalities.

They are referred to as ‘doers’ who don’t just talk about getting a job done; they take great pride in seeing the end result of a project.

These individuals productively engage themselves in a driving force to complete many tasks on a daily basis. They sometimes delegate key responsibilities in order to conserve time when they can draw from another person’s strengths.

They are more than just a manger who completes a job; they aim to do the job correctly.

Some leaders (even parents) like to be feared, while others receive respect out of mere love and admiration.

Regardless of the varying styles of leadership, it is important that leaders are creative in finding ways to make others follow the rules established for any organization, business, or family. This will promote stability within a work or home environment. If you feel you are in a position where others depend on you for guidance or leadership, don’t wait until it is too late to act in a manner that will produce positive results.

Dr. Sonya Rogers is a certified counselor who lives in Daphne.

Her column twice monthly appears in the Daphne Bulletin and Spanish Fort Sun.