Leaders are made, they are not born – they are molded from life experiences and life skills. The best leaders are the ones who don’t even know they already lead, yet they share their life with others in an empowering and inspirational way, uplifting those around them and creating a far-reaching ripple effect.

I co-founded my family business (homewares company Lifestyle Brands International) when I was a 19-year-old student. That was the beginning of what is now an amazing 40 years in business, reinventing it regularly and riding the ups and downs of several economic cycles.

The company has become a top-tier vendor to our national retailers and over the years we have also developed long-lasting relationships with some of the world’s largest retailers, including Walmart, Target (United States), Carrefour and Auchan.

Underpinning our longevity is our mantra of always adding value to our team and to our partners by following three simple steps:

1. Ask them what they want

2. Go and get it

3. Give it to them

What we give, not what we get

In 2009, my 14-year-old daughter, Steph, was denied a life-changing school trip to Cambodia to volunteer with disadvantaged rural families. We decided to embrace the opportunity and instead traveled to Cambodia as a family, volunteering to teach English at a rural school in the Siem Reap province.

Those two weeks changed the course of our lives and the lives of thousands of rural Cambodian students and their families. We returned to volunteer in Cambodia several more times and in 2011 founded the Cambodia Rural Students Trust (CRST) non-governmental organization (NGO), with the vision of educating future leaders.

CRST is a unique NGO because it’s entirely led and managed by our students. Through formal education, extensive mentoring and the opportunities to gain hands-on practical skills, the students of CRST also lead and manage projects in areas as diverse as women’s empowerment, energy poverty, social inequity and environmental degradation, reaching thousands of beneficiaries annually.

Leadership starts with you

We teach our students that leadership is a set of responsibilities that anyone can learn, practice and own. At the core of genuine leadership are key concepts including vision, passion, compassion and commitment.

Vision

Share your vision, don’t sell your dream – sharing your vision is much more empowering for the team. Articulate your vision clearly so that everyone can see what’s in it for all stakeholders, including them. A team member who walks the journey is the best advocate to promote your vision and impact – you may have given them the shoes, but they’re walking in them.

Passion

Passion is a powerful energy, so it’s critical for leaders to be passionate about their leadership and the outcomes they are creating. Beyond the desire to achieve, passion is the furnace that doesn’t extinguish when things don’t go to plan or others block our sunshine. When you align a life purpose with passion, you create a vortex of empowerment and inspiration.

Compassion

Compassion is the awareness of others’ needs with the desire to take action that will empower them to thrive. Compassion is an open mind and an open heart, seeking to connect on our commonalities, causing the tide to come in so that everyone is raised.

Commitment

Commitment is the determination to stick it out no matter what the universe puts in our path. When people are part of the weaving of the fabric, they feel ownership and commitment; they want to do their best and do more. A leader’s commitment to the team, stakeholders, beneficiaries and outcomes forms the foundation of trust and collaboration.

Learning and practicing the fundamentals of leadership, the students of CRST empower themselves and their families to rise from poverty to the middle class in eight years. From the rice fields to world-leading organizations, from fishing boats to boardrooms, and from working in restaurants to government ministries.

Leadership is an essential life skill that empowers you to become the person you aspire to be. And once you master self-leadership, you unlock the potential to inspire and guide others to reach new heights.