According to Alannah E. Rafferty and Mark A. Griffin in an article published by the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology (2006), a leader can and probably should possess a number of characteristics. Some of the common and possibly essential leadership skills needed to create and maintain a new strategic direction for any organization include the following: . A clear vision of the future
. The ability to share that vision with others
. A willingness to empower subordinates and delegate tasks to others
. The capability to think strategically
. Focus, decisiveness, and perseverance
. The ability to motivate and to lead a team by example