It’s almost one week into 2015 and there are new goals for your business to accomplish. A big part of achieving those goals is keeping your leadership in check. Have you evaluated your leadership skills? Do you consider yourself to be an optimistic person? An honest person? To help you hit the ground running in 2015, here are five common traits of successful leaders:

Honesty—Become a trusted leader in your business by being forthright with your opinions. Maintain class and poise when speaking your mind, but always be honest. Your trustworthiness will be respected.

Commitment—When setting goals for your business, be committed to their fruition. In order to be committed, you need to be consistent. Always check to see if you’re on target to completing the goal. If not, readjust how to achieve it.

Focus—When creating a business model or strategy, don’t spread yourself too thin. Figure out one thing you and your business is really good at, and then run with it. Keep your focus narrow in order to succeed.

Optimism—A respected leader needs a positive attitude. There will be challenges throughout life, but the leaders who see the silver lining will overcome obstacles.

Creativity—Train yourself to think differently and flexibly to become a better leader. Envision what could be different about your business and what would work best. It’s not always conventional. Be bold with your creativity.