One quick pass through the business section of a bookstore will show just how much there is to say about leadership. You could spend months – even years – reading books, articles and blogs about becoming an effective leader. And if you’re serious about leading your company, it’s worth developing your leadership skills.

Looking to others for advice and guidance can save you from making some serious snafus. Leading is tough stuff, especially if you’ve been thrust into the role with little preparation.

We came across this video, “The Biggest Mistake a Leader Can Make,” from the Harvard Business Review with some excellent points from various professors. They point out leader mistakes like betraying trust; putting self-interest over the interests of the organization; not being authentic and consistent; being arrogant; and not living up to values.

Harvard Business Review has an entire blog series on “Imagining the Future of Leadership.” You might want to bookmark that site for inspiration and ideas. A good leader is one who is willing to learn, eager to make self-improvements and not above admitting his or her shortcomings and desiring to rise above those.

What is the biggest mistake a leader can make? As a leader, have you made mistakes? Have you worked for leaders who made mistakes and how did it impact you as an employee?

This year is zipping by quickly and it might be a good time to pause and assess your goals for the year – whether they’re for your company, your career or even your personal life. We enter into a new year with a fresh set of ideas and plans. And yet the busyness of everyday life kicks in and somehow we end up Christmas shopping and wondering where the year went and why we didn’t achieve everything we set out to do.

It’s not too late to tackle those goals you made for this year. Take a look at your calendar and mark off an hour for goal regrouping. Make it an appointment so you’re more likely to stick with it and not schedule something else at the same time.

Pick two of the most important goals you had for the year. Sure you may have 10 goals but at this point, it may not be realistic to tackle all 10, so prioritize.

For each goal, lay out a list of what needs to be done to achieve that goal. For example, if you’d like to obtain an advanced degree to further your career, you might list out: research financial aid opportunities, obtain a sample course schedule, set a meeting with your boss to find out how you can make this fit with your work schedule.

Then create a timeline for each goal so you have deadlines and can approach each step in the process with some organization.

Finally, give your timeline to a co-worker, friend or spouse – anyone who will hold you accountable. If you’re not comfortable sharing all the details at this point, just give the person the deadlines and ask her to check with you on those dates to see if you’re accomplished a task toward your overall goal. Knowing someone’s going to be checking up on you will provide an extra level of motivation.

How are your goals progressing for 2010? Are you trying to get back on track?