Leona Lewis doesn't measure success by record sales.

The 'Bleeding Love' hitmaker insists she doesn't worry if her music doesn't top the chart so long as she is happy with the decisions she makes in her career.

She explained to BANG Showbiz: ''The thing is I see a lot of fans saying, 'You should have released this. You should've done this.' But everything has been me doing what I want to do. Success, obviously, to most people is if you get a number one, that's your success. For me, it's my own journey and I've released the songs I've released because it's what I'm feeling at the time and what I want to do.

''I've been pushed into one decision I wasn't happy with and I'll never let that happen again. I learnt a lot about myself, that I need to follow my own instincts, I need to go with what my heart tells me, and I think that's how I measure success - how I deal with the situations that are put in front of me.''

Leona, 28, feels the record industry can be ''daunting'' for young females but she has found her voice.

She added: ''You're up against these big label bosses and a lot of it is male-orientated, so finding your voice and being confident enough to say 'No, this is what I want to do' can be quite hard.

''It can be quite scary. Luckily I've got an amazing female A&R, who's so great, but still it's a very male-dominated industry and it kind of needs to change a bit.''

Leona's album 'Christmas, with Love' is out now.