It may look to outsiders as though leaders got where they are due to a variety of factors.  Could be blind luck.  Maybe they were born with it.  Could be that leaders are better strategists.  Or better communicators.  Or smarter, faster, more tuned in.  
    The truth is it may be a combination of a lot of these things.  In fact, studies reveal that the most effective leaders are those who demonstrate a consistent set of skills and behaviors.  One of those is risk taking.  I don't mean risk taking in the physical sense of jumping out of an airplane, although that's certainly risky.  But most people in a leadership position take risks in the sense of putting themselves "out there" and making themselves visible to the outside world.  For a lot of us, that's pretty risky.  In fact, a lot of us have strong leadership potential, but our tendency is to keep our strengths, our talents, our ideas and our premonitions to ourselves.  It feels too risky to stand out from the crowd.  It seems risky to verbalize our own ideas, partly because once you do so, you are then subject to analysis.  You may have to defend yourself and your position, state your case or explain your logic.  
    But at some point, the most revered leaders don't hesitate to put themselves out there and make their presence truly known to others.  How you do that is up to you.  I guess, think about the ways in which you are not stepping up.  That might be revealing.  Then take a risk.  Be brave and bold.  Do that something that stretches you and pushes you.  It could be something relatively benign, like posting a blog or speaking up in a meeting or standing up to a peer, a boss or an angry neighbor.  It could be about proposing an out-there idea at work that you really, truly believe in.  Leadership is about finding those opportunities to lead the way for others.  Others are looking to you to test the waters.