Leadership is one of those words that people throw around a lot, but what does it actually mean?

For some, “leadership development consulting firms” conjures up images of powerful executives and military generals. For others, it might be a phrase they’ve heard so often they’re not really sure what it means.

Here’s the truth: Anyone can be a leader — no matter how old or experienced you are.

Leadership isn’t about your title or job description; it’s about your ability to influence others toward achieving a common goal.

And what better way to develop your leadership skills than in college?

The best part about leadership is that the more you practice, the better you get, so even if you’ve never considered yourself a leader before, there’s still plenty of time to learn and improve your skills.

So where do you start? If you need some inspiration, check out this list of 9 ways to strengthen your leadership skills:

1. Do Your Research

You can’t become a better leader without first knowing what it takes to be a good leader. Take the time to study up on leadership principles, practices, and theories by reading books and articles written by experts in the field. Even if you’re more of an auditory learner, listening to podcasts, lectures, and TED talks is another great way to learn about leadership.

2. Find a mentor

There are several ways to go about finding a good mentor. Your mentor could be someone in your field who has more experience than you do, or it could be someone from another industry who has been where you want to go. If you know exactly who you want as a mentor, ask them if they would mentor you — the worst thing they can say is no. Another option is to set up a mentoring program within your business and ask other employees if they’d like to take part in it.

3. Become an expert in your field

It’s hard to become a leader in something unless you’re an expert at it first. Becoming an expert requires constant learning, which can include reading books and articles, attending seminars or just asking questions of people who know more than you do. As you become an expert in your field, coworkers will start coming to you with questions, and that will help establish you as a leader within the organization.

4. Focus on Finding the Right Mix of Strengths

A good leader must have some important strengths that allow them to do their job well. Some strengths are more important than others for specific positions, but there are some that are necessary in any role. One of the most important is emotional intelligence. A leader needs to be able to understand people and how they work if they want to nurture relationships with employees and customers. A high level of intelligence is also necessary, but it should be paired with creativity and a willingness to learn new things.

5. Be accessible and approachable

It might sound obvious, but as you climb the corporate ladder, you should make sure that your superiors and your staff know that they can reach out to you at all times. Make sure that your direct reports know that they can go straight to the top if they have an issue with something you’ve done or asked them to do. In short, be accountable and let everyone know that you’re accountable for your actions and decisions.

6. Spend time with your team members

You may not be able to spend one-on-one time with every person on your team, but attempt to get know each individual. Ask them questions about their lives outside of work and take an interest in them as people. Showing that you care is a great way to motivate and inspire your team members.

7. Give constructive feedback regularly

Feedback is important for helping your team members grow and improve their performance. Make sure you’re offering both positive and constructive feedback regularly so that they know what they need to continue doing well and what they need to improve upon. Schedule regular check-in meetings so that you can assess how things are going for everyone on the team.

8. Be a good communicator

Both leaders and followers need to be able to communicate effectively with each other. The communications process starts with the sender who sends an idea or message through selected channel to the receiver. The receiver then decodes the message and gives feedback to the sender. Effective communication depends on several factors: the sender’s and receiver’s frame of reference (background information or point of view); the background noise which interferes with accurate perception; and the channel used for transmitting information.

9. Be clear about company goals

A leader must be able to clearly explain what he/she expects from employees in regards to specific projects and overall business goals. It is not enough for leaders to assume that employees understand how they fit into the big picture of an organization’s goals without being told explicitly by them. Likewise, employees will not be motivated if they do not know how their contributions support the organization’s mission.