An influential leader is someone who, through powerful influence (as opposed to coercion), achieves effective results through people who choose to follow him or her because they believe in and trust that the leader can guide them to the desired result. Both high levels of competence and high levels of trust accompany high levels of influence.
Becoming an influential leader doesn’t just happen. It takes a commitment to being your best and doing your best regardless, consistently. Unfortunately, in our society today, such leaders are rare or never available. But as youths, we should desire to build ourselves and become such influential leaders who would reform the family, organisations (government inclusive) and the society at large in the present day and future.
In my little experience as a young leader coupled with my reading and research abilities, I've itemised what are required of any youth who desire to be an influential leader in just 7 points. I've been applying these habits (I call them habits cos they are now part of my life) over the years and they've proved right. I hope you too find them useful as you study and apply them to your lives.

1. Sharpen the saw. Don’t work yourself to death. Strive for a sustainable lifestyle that affords you time to recuperate, recharge and be effective in the long-term.
2. Be proactive. You have a natural need to wield influence on the world around you so don’t spend your time just reacting to external events and circumstances. Take charge and assume responsibility for your life.
3. Begin with an end in mind. Don’t spend your life working aimlessly, tackling whatever job is at hand. Have a vision for the future and align your actions accordingly to make it into a reality.
4. Put first things first. To prioritize your work, focus on what’s important, meaning the things that bring you closer to your vision of the future. Don’t get distracted by urgent but unimportant tasks.
5. Think win-win. When negotiating with others, don’t try to get the biggest slice of the cake, but rather find a division that is acceptable to all parties. You will still get your fair share, and build strong positive relationships in the process.
6. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. When someone presents us with a problem, we often jump right to giving a solution. This is a mistake. We should first take time to really listen to the other person and only then make recommendations.
7. Synergize. Adopt the guiding principle that in a group, the contributions of many will far exceed those of any individual. This will help you achieve goals you could never have reached on your own.