Today, we are lucky enough to live in a world flourishing with female leaders.  Whether you look to Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, social activist and nobel peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai, or even celebrity humanitarians such as Oprah, it seems that everywhere you turn you are blessed with so many women role models.  These women have not evolved to become the female leaders that they are today randomly.  They exhibit certain qualities that have contributed to their success.  Here are four qualities to consider of women leaders:

1. Resilience

As a woman and a leader in general, you have to be prepared to run into some brick walls in your life.  You will have people against what you believe in.  Honestly, if you ruffle some feathers, you are doing something right.  The important thing is to keep your cool and rise above these obstacles.  What you take away from times of difficulty will make you that much stronger in the periods of calm.

2. Risk-taking

In such a position as a leader, you will be called to take action, sometimes with much at stake.  You may have to call the shots for others, such as a group you represent, and your decision will have to suit them.  You will have to take risks and hope it works out for the best, and with that in mind, keep a rational mind when making such risky decisions to calculate if they will pay off in the long run.

3. Independence

Sometimes when you stand for something, you have to stand alone.  Be ok with that.  You must have the ability to be independent and be confident in your independence because if you are unable to lead yourself, how can you lead others?

4. Open-mindedness

As a leader, you can never please everyone.  That’s realistic, but you must always listen to other people’s thoughts, opinions, concerns, etc. and take those into consideration.  A good leader thinks beyond herself and her goals and listens to the people around her.  You aren’t required to take other’s advice mindlessly, but at least be aware of it.

So as you go about your day-to-day life today, keep these four traits in mind.  Try to put them into practice every day.  You don’t have to strive to become an internationally recognized female leader, but by holding your own and representing yourself as an intelligent, self-assured woman, you can be seen as a leader and role model for someone.

Need motivation? Check out our LYD Star Interviews.