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These ancient words reflect that good leaders are often made and not born. The effective mix of
desire, willpower and ethical values, funneled through a continuous process of self-study,
education, training, and experience has been known to produce truly inspiring
leadership.Knowledge and skills contribute directly to the 
 of leadership, while the other
attributes give the leader certain unique characteristics. In my opinion, there are several traits
that make a good leader; but a few resonate particularly well with me:
1) ood leaders are forward thinking visionaries who create a picture of the future; of
where they want to take their organizations. Once a vision is established, great leaders
can inspire everyone from customers to the board of directors to get onboard with a
shared passion.
2) Through diligent focus on details,clear communicationand consistent
performance;these leaders instill trust and confidencein their peers and employees
alike.
3) ood leaders aren͛t always charismatic or great public speakers, they inspire in the most
low key manner,through their words and actions.
4) Strategic leaders use the organization͛s strengths to take on the right
opportunities.They use technical proficiency, sound judgment and quick decision making
to analyze and overcomeits weaknesses.
5) ood leaders are courageous and often fearless, never shying away from ͞doing the
right thing͟.
6) Finally, good leaders foster individual capabilities as well as team excellence
bysuccessfully training, supervising and leading their teams.

The 10 years of experience in the apparel industry has helped me foster some of these traits
such as forward thinking, problem solving and ͞the ability to do the right thing͟. As a brand
manager at Levi and more recently, as a buyer with Tommy Hilfiger, I have used these skills
effectively to resolve tactical and strategic issues. Furthermore, the MBA program in the past
year has honed other skills such as thorough analysis and clear communication. My goal is to
further develop these skills through a simple yet practical framework, so that I can effectively
apply them to other industries in a leadership capacity.

The oizueta Leadership Academy is one such unique and cogent framework of leadership
excellence in practice. The fourfold development of Cognitive, Emotional, Behavioral and
Relational aspects encompass all the leadership traits that I strive to inculcate in myself. I
believe that in my case, the Academy will be most effective in bridging the gaps in Behavioral
and Relational skills related to self- projection, time management and development of peer
network. Most importantly, the Leadership academy will teach me how to ͞most effectively and
purposefully manage and lead people͟; a leadership trait most crucial to my success in the
professional world.