In my last blog post, I offered that one does not have to be more intelligent, be more deserved, be more lucky or have more experience than you.

It is more a question of our "relationship," that is, how we perceive leadership, and our desire to lead. This is the first step in the process of becoming a great leader (mindset).

Now it's time to talk about skillset; in our next post I will talk about toolset.

Skillset - Know Thyself
Before you take any next steps, I challenge you to complete an exercise that will, for some, be very difficult. In order to get better at leading, we must understand who we are and where we are so that we can practice on those areas that need to be addressed and build on others.

Interview Questions
Below are a set of five questions I recommend you ask a friend, colleague or peer. If you approach it from the perspective of “this is an opportunity to learn and improve,” then I can almost guarantee you be will glad you accepted the challenge.

Remember to check your ego at the door, tell your guest why you want to conduct the interview, thank them at the end of each of their responses, and create an open, safe and honest environment where they know there will be no repercussions.

1. What are my strengths?
2. What are my weaknesses?
3. If I wasn't in the room, what would people say about me?
4. What can you/people count on me for?
5. What can you/people not count on me for?

While the above questions are very personal, we need to peel back the layers if we truly want to understand how we occur to people, and not how WE THINK we occur to people. It is a great way to gain a true understanding of our skills.

Run With It
If you want to get to the next level of sales leadership then take the information from your interviews and use it to your advantage. Take steps to address weaknesses. Build on your strengths. Be constantly aware of when each are showing up and act accordingly.

Good luck and let me know how it goes. And lets also connect on Twitter: @DamienMoroney.