[...] In the forward to Bill George&rsquo;s book&nbsp;True North,&nbsp;David Gergen&nbsp;shares, &ldquo;what ultimately distinguishes the great leaders from the mediocre are the personal, inner qualities &ndash; qualities that are hard to define but are essential for success, qualities that each of us must develop for ourselves.&rdquo; &nbsp; How can leaders develop these inner qualities that are essential to great leadership?&nbsp;There is not a clear-cut recipe, path, or leadership development program that will guarantee results to develop these qualities. However, much of the current leadership research and trends propose that the path begins with an examination of yourself and your inner qualities. Great leaders need to know themselves first before they can effectively lead others. Common character themes and traits stand out among great leaders and words such as&nbsp;authenticity, integrity&nbsp;and&nbsp;trustworthiness&nbsp;describe their character traits. &nbsp; After much reading and reflection I have been inspired to examine myself, and have attempted to discover the inner qualities that help to define my own leadership development and to apply what I have learned.&nbsp; [...]