“A leader is best when people barely know he exists when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves,” said Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer. He is the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching, the founder of philosophical Taoism, and a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions.

Even before the turn of the millennium, the mental strategies used in high-end sports to improve performance were transferred to the business world. Top athletes know very well that they need to control their own mental state and emotions before they are distracted by others. The same is true for leaders to be successful. They know that the principles will pay off when applied consistently.

Motivation, focus, clarity of purpose, resilience, and stress management are mental requirements for anyone striving to be the best in their field.

Here are some of the mental skills needed to become a successful business leader.

Emotional intelligence:

Emotional intelligence is an important skill for all leaders. This is so important that it affects most of the other skills on this list. By developing emotional intelligence, you can communicate better, motivate teams, delegate tasks, and remain flexible under pressure – in short, prerequisites for being an effective leader.

Communication:

Whether you are a current or future leader, the ability to communicate effectively with others is an important skill.

To understand why you need to think about the role that leaders play: they motivate others to follow them and work toward a common goal. Basically, it requires you to communicate your team’s goals along with a plan of action to achieve them.

Ability to do the best:

An effective leader doesn’t just tell others what to do or dictate how tasks are done. Instead, they allow employees to do what they are hired to do. This not only improves team performance but also frees up time for basic management tasks.

Self-awareness:

To skillfully lead your team, healthy self-confidence is essential. This can allow you to identify and control your emotions while performing your duties and help you remain effective in highly stressful situations.

In addition, self-awareness can help you identify your leadership style.

Continuity:

Things rarely go smoothly in business. No matter how well you weigh the known risks in your business strategy or product launch, there will always be variables that can impact your plans. As a manager, you must remain flexible and resilient, adapt to changing scenarios, and align your team with new action options.

One of the well-known entrepreneurs, Sam Mizrahi, the president and founder of Mizrahi Developments, a Toronto-based real estate development company that specializes in catering to the luxury market. The One Toronto is Sam Mizrahi’s largest and arguably most public project to date. 1 Bloor West, the site of The One, is the former location of Stollery, the venerable men’s clothing store that occupied the space for 114 years.