These days being a good leader is something everyone is either talking about or wants to be doing. There are a multitude of books that have been written about the qualities of great leaders, and certainly whenever there is an election politicians are constantly evaluated in terms of their leadership potential.

During job interviews, people’s leadership skills are an important consideration. Companies want to hire people who have, or are willing to develop, the qualities of leaders.

It is important to know not only what qualities are relevant, but what might interfere in attaining your potential. Here are 5 obstacles which could prevent you from becoming a great leader.

1. Not being self aware

Self awareness is one of the key tools an individual requires in order to be successful in life. When you are unaware of what your strengths and weaknesses are, how you interact with others and how you come across in various situations, you are vulnerable. If you have a false sense of how you behave and how you present yourself, then responses people have to you might create a great deal of confusion. For example you see yourself as working well with staff and encourage their ideas, but you take the credit for their ideas. This creates a problem.

2. Poor response to constructive criticism

The ability to accept criticism is an asset if your goal is to move up in the work environment and become a leader. It may be difficult to hear the feedback and our natural inclination is often to become defensive. If you discount constructive feedback you will eventually get the reputation of being "closed" and unavailable for collaborative work which could ultimately diminish your chances for promotion. Do you expect yourself to always have the right answer and know exactly what to do? If so, you are setting yourself up for the impossible. You never know what kernel of wisdom will be present when someone gives you feedback. Being open to constructive criticism means you acknowledge that you have things to learn.

3. Ineffective listening skills

Unfortunately many people are guilty of not fully using their listening skills. If you are not paying attention or make assumptions based on the person who is speaking, you will not hear what someone is actually saying. When participating in a meeting, if you are distracted by your blackberry or thinking about other things, you are not attending to what is happening in the moment. If this occurs you are unavailable to guide and direct people in the best way possible. You are not listening for opportunity or potential.

To be an effective listener, you need to suspend judgment, make an effort to listen intently and be willing to ask for clarification.

4. Difficulty moving outside your comfort zone

If you have difficulty with change, it could be very challenging for you to establish yourself as a leader. Imagine a leader who always wants everything status quo. Working hard to keep things the same in spite of the fact that the world is changing, is not possible. You will need to push yourself to tolerate discomfort in order to achieve and develop. Just because things have always been done "a particular way," does not necessarily mean it is the most productive or efficient way. If you find yourself stuck in old habits, pay attention to how it may be holding you back and begin to take small steps towards change. Being willing to make changes means that one is able to let go of old assumptions or beliefs and take different actions.

5. Being an ineffective manager

People sometime assume that if you are promoted to a managerial position that you automatically have the skills for the job. Generally there is a learning curve. You may now be responsible for people with whom you used to socialize and you will need to manage and interact with them differently. At times this can be quite tricky.

Communication is a critical component of being a good manager. If you are constantly criticizing your employees, doing their work because you believe they are not capable or make rude and sarcastic comments, it will be difficult for staff to relate to you and trust you. As a manager your job is to help them grow and develop their skills. The better they do their jobs, the better you look as a manager.

To be a powerful, effective leader you will need to eliminate these obstacles and develop the skills that will help you achieve success.