Waste no time arguing what a good man should be. Be one." - Marcus Aurelius. I used to have a severe case of analysis paralysis. Spending so much time talking, thinking and reading about the things I wanted or wanted to be.

I wanted to know all the details.

I wanted to be the best.

Most of all I wanted it to work.

But it didn't because I was continually stuck in the wrong mindset. Excellence is not something a Leader demands, we go out and build it. After all, making demands goes against the very fabric of the word itself--Leadership. And to be a Leader you must strive for excellence but you also have to live it.

Excellence can be defined as "the quality of being excellent" OR "being all you can be" while doing the right thing for your company. And to be a Leader who builds and attracts excellence you have to be a person of strong character and which might be defined as having drive, energy, determination, self-discipline, willpower, and nerve.

Quite a recipe for greatness, isn't it?

Marcus directs us to waste no time talking about being a good person. "Be One" he says, and I can't think of a better model for being a Leader.

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge advocate of discussion, reading and learning but I'm also a strong believer in the ideal that a Leader isn't born--we are developed. It is through the efforts and affects of our character building that we develop and then learn to say "Follow Me."

Be a Leader.

Do what is right.

Then share your experiences.

Are you up to the challenge of developing your skills?

Tim Draayer is a networker and leader, taking the time to mentor people in leadership and business skills through his home based travel business Teaching others how to start a business and make sales with their own online travel agency