Introduction Leadership is the process by which a person makes use of his or her skills to cause social influence, and thus accomplish a specified goal. A leader is expected to head and offer guidance to his or her team (VanVactor, 2012). S/he is expected to be a role model for his or her subordinates, and thus s/he must possess the relevant leadership skills to achieve this objective. This paper outlines the major skills that a leader should possess by using Oprah Winfrey as an example. Honesty This virtue is the most important trait that every leader should possess, as it is the ability to admit a mistake whenever things go wrong. Unfortunately, most leaders fail in this area. Initially, there was an assumption that every leader was honest in his or her position. However, due to the rising cases of dishonesty, this assumption no longer holds. Indisputably, a leader’s functions include experimenting with new ideas. However, most leaders tend to dodge this responsibility for fear of failure. Nevertheless, a good leader can accept his or her mistakes, and by so doing, one stands a better chance of influencing his or her followers into admitting their wrongs (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). Admitting one’s mistakes increases the employees’ confidence in the lead and creates a good image for the outside world. Forward-looking A forward-looking leader can set goals in advance. This trait underscores the ability of a leader to create a vision on his or her intentions and communicate the same to the individuals involved in making the vision a success. Every good leader should make time for planning and strategize in the future. The leader should then communicate the vision to his/her subordinates and place the necessary strategies to achieve the vision (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). Most leaders shy from communicating their vision to their subordinates for fear of failure. However, a good leader will communicate the vision without fear since he or she is determined and ready to accept his/her mistakes and learn from them. Competency A leader is expected to demonstrate high levels of competency and expertise when executing his/her duties. Many people tend to assume that the holder of leadership positions is competent. However, this assumption is flawed. Competency lies in the cause of action chosen in different situations. However, this aspect does not mean that leaders have to be experts in all disciplines, but they need to exercise a reasonable degree of expertise in their decisions (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). This element boosts the employees’ confidence in leadership and influences their attitude in the workplace. In demonstrating competency, one has to be careful not to act in a manner that will undermine other people in the organization. This aspect will lead to hatred and a feeling of inferiority. The leader must handle the process skillfully by recognizing the contributions of other team players. This way, the leader’s competency will indirectly stand out while maintaining harmony in the team that contributed to the success. Inspiring trait The other important trait that is evident in great leaders is an inspiring trait. This attribute involves motivating employees and influencing their attitude towards their responsibilities in an organization. Inspirational leaders encourage others to see the positive side of life and urge them to