Is a person born with the characteristics that make them a good leader? Or does he or she not become a positive leader through his or her words, actions, and willingness to improve in this area of his or her life?

Coming from a first-generation Peruvian immigrant family, I grew up watching my family work tirelessly to provide us with a good quality of life. It was this dedication that inspired me to start a business at a young age. Having never received any formal education on how to run a business, I learned the basics of management and leadership through trial and error.

As you can imagine, it wasn't easy... I had no idea that entrepreneurship was so difficult and that I would discover, the hard way, the importance of leadership...

Like any entrepreneur, I have experienced ups and downs during the seven years of Excellence Construction Rénovation 's existence. I even considered closing its doors a few times. The notoriety that this company enjoys today, highlighted in particular by the award at the 37th Domus Awards or the Grand Prix du Design , is the result of the perseverance of all the members of a team. Any good leader must have a game plan for the development of his company, must put this plan into action and demonstrate tenacity. Otherwise, it would have the same effect as a ship without a rudder, sailing without a clear direction and ending up running aground at the bottom of the ocean.

THE RIGHT PEOPLE

I also learned that to succeed in business, I needed to surround myself with professionals who have expertise that I don't have myself, such as home staging .

You can't be great at everything, which is why you need to cultivate an open mind towards new ideas and possible improvements. In my case, this has allowed me to avoid several costly mistakes along the way.

A good leader chooses the people around him wisely. An old adage states that we are the result of the five people we spend the most time with.

Whether we like it or not, the people in our inner circle end up influencing our path, whether it's our health, our career, our opinions, etc.

THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION

Another characteristic of an effective leader is his ability to collaborate with people who support him in achieving his goals. In the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, the author explains that one of the greatest qualities of a leader is his ability to work with others. He must understand and instill the principles of cooperation within his team in order for it to be successful.

On the other side of this collaborative approach is selfishness, which is one of the main causes of failure in a company. A leader who claims all the credit for the work done by his team will not generate the necessary respect. This narcissistic behavior will eventually be felt by others.

A positive leader must motivate his troops through recognition and appreciation.

It is the responsibility of any good leader to earn the respect, trust and dedication of the members of his group. American-British author and speaker Simon Sinek said that a healthy relationship between a leader and his employees is based on one crucial feeling: he is there for them.