Many years ago, I was a member of a local Scout troop. On one occasion we were going to be camping in the woods, and as the mischievous teenagers we were, we decided it would be the perfect opportunity to bring plenty of booze. Our plot was simple: smuggle the contraband onto camp by concealing it in black soda bottles. Once we were set up in the woods and our leader had gone to sleep, we would drink and be merry. We had assumed that our leader would leave us alone and check on us during the night. We were wrong. The next day, whilst scrubbing the toilets, we reflected that perhaps we weren't as smart as we had thought…

OK, so that wasn't a exactly textbook example of leadership. I could easily have opened up with a cliched tale of an ancient commander, leading his troops to victory in the face of overwhelming odds, but that only scratches the surface of leadership. More importantly, we all have the capacity to be great leaders without having to lead an army.

A very simplistic view of leadership is that it's about getting people to work towards the same goal. However, the way this is done is what shows a leader's true qualities. Bullying people into working will only get you so far, but being too easy going may not get you results at all. So what qualities do good leaders share?

When we think of leadership, we often assume it is reserved for certain people. After all, leaders are born, not made, right? The truth is, you have the potential to be a truly great leader, and it doesn't have to involve leading hundreds of people. Setting an example to those around you is also a form of leadership. The goal doesn't have to be completing a new project or building a skyscraper, but becoming a better person.