Lead Yourself
In the intricate dance of leadership, where decisions shape destinies and actions mold outcomes, one profound truth often gets overshadowed: "The hardest part of being a leader is leading yourself." This statement encapsulates the essence of true leadership, emphasizing the internal journey that leaders must navigate before steering others towards success. In this article, we'll explore the significance of self-leadership and how it forms the bedrock of effective leadership.
Leading Yourself - The Crucial First Step
Leadership is often associated with charisma, decisiveness, and the ability to influence others. It is seen as a position to aspire to, a goal to be attained. It may hold a certain allure, because of power, position, or remuneration. It's easy to fall into the trap of focusing solely on the external aspects of leadership, such as managing teams, making strategic decisions, and achieving organizational goals while being well paid to do so. However, this perspective overlooks the critical internal dimension that separates great leaders from merely competent ones.
At the heart of effective leadership lies the ability to lead oneself. This entails a deep introspection and understanding of one's values, strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations. A leader who hasn't mastered themself will inevitably struggle to guide others successfully. The journey of self-leadership is a constant process of growth, self-discovery, and personal development. These three skills are integral to leading yourself:
self-awareness
self-discipline
self-motivation
The Role of Self-Awareness:
Self-awareness is the cornerstone of self-leadership. A leader who understands their own emotions, motivations, and limitations can navigate challenges with grace and authenticity. This awareness extends to acknowledging one's mistakes and learning from them, fostering a culture of accountability within the team. Leaders who are blind to their own shortcomings risk fostering a toxic environment where accountability becomes an elusive concept.
So how does one become self-aware?
Do we sit in the corner and adopt a meditation pose?
Well, you could, but you might be better off taking a self-inventory of recent events or episode from your leadership and ask yourself some "why" questions. For example, “Why did I react that way?”, or “Why was I so insistent on …?” Simply by asking why we do things, say things, or think things the way we do might help us to understand our own values and emotional drivers. We could also then ask, “How could this have been handled better?” or “What other ways could this have been handled?”.
We could also read books that challenge us or give us practical strategies and exercises to engage in to help us improve our emotional intelligence or understanding of why people do the things they do. Some of my favourite authors in this regard are:
John C Maxwell e.g. “The Self-Aware Leader”
Carol S Dweck e.g. “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”
Simon Sinek e.g. “Leaders Eat Last”
Steven R Covey e.g. “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”
We could also identify and work with a mentor. A mentor is someone who has walked the same or similar path before you, and can share their insights, wisdom and experience with you, and act as a sounding board for you to discuss your ideas and challenges with. They may also be able to give you feedback on yourself and your leadership which can help you grow as a leader.
Cultivating Self-Discipline:
Leading oneself requires a strong sense of self-discipline. This involves setting clear goals, maintaining focus, and adhering to one's principles even in the face of adversity. A disciplined leader serves as a role model for the team, inspiring them to embrace a similar level of commitment and dedication. Without self-discipline, leaders risk succumbing to distractions and losing the trust of those they lead. Self-discipline is even more important when establishing a business from scratch, when you often start with just yourself.
Some practical tips for self-discipline:
Turn off notifications on your phone, especially for social media!
Create a routine and stick to it
Establishing a daily routine can automate a lot of daily activities, which leaves your mind free to focus on more important tasks and decisions that need to be made.
It can also ensure you get enough sleep, eat regularly, and make time for family, exercise, and relaxation.
Plan out your week and your day using a prioritisation sheet
It should allow time for the important staff, and the routine stuff, meetings, phone calls, etc., but most importantly for thinking time!
It should not be so tightly scheduled that one small blip upsets your whole day.
Prioritise the activities that have the greatest impact on your business. If you can, delegate the other activities.
Reward yourself for being self-disciplined!
Most people respond well to positive reinforcement! You can turn things into a game of beating your own targets or milestones. Then give yourself a gold medal (or maybe just a piece of chocolate!).
Reflect!
Stop every so often and reflect on your progress, check yourself against your goals, check your goals and progress against reality, and seek feedback on how you are going.
This will allow you to course correct where necessary, adjust your workload or focus for your work, and ensure the course you are on will get you to where you want to go!
If you have struggles with self-discipline, start small and work your way up. Ensure you celebrate each small win along the way, so you keep “winning” and building a track record of success. This will soon become your habit and way of doing things.
Balancing Confidence and Humility:
Confidence is an asset in leadership, but it must be tempered with humility. The ability to acknowledge when one doesn't have all the answers and to seek input from others is a sign of a truly self-aware and self-leading leader. Humility fosters a collaborative environment, where ideas are valued, and team members feel empowered to contribute their expertise.
Michael Dell is the founder of Dell Computers, a global business selling and servicing personal computers. He starting with selling computer parts from his dorm room as a college student. He strongly believes a good leader doesn’t need to be the smartest in the room, in fact he said:
“Try never to be the smartest in the room. And if you think you are, I suggest you invite smarter people, or find a different room.”
The point of this isn’t to say you don’t need to use your intelligence as a leader, but to acknowledge that as a leader:
You don’t need to be the expert on everything.
If you think you are the expert on everything, you need to be more humble!
A good leader surrounds themselves with smart people who are good at things the leader isn't good at.
It really is about being humble, and open to other people in your organisation having better ideas or “being smarter” at what they are employed for. As the leader, your job is to support them to excel at what they are good at, and align it with the goals of your organisation.
Summary
In the grand tapestry of leadership, the thread of self-leadership weaves through every successful leader's story. "The hardest part of being a leader is leading yourself" serves as a powerful reminder that effective leadership begins within ourselves. By mastering self-awareness, cultivating self-discipline, and balancing confidence with humility, leaders can create an environment where their teams thrive. In the end, the journey of leadership is not just about guiding others; it's about navigating the complexities of leading oneself towards a greater, shared purpose.
#leadership #selfawareness #selfdiscipline #servantleadership
David Reeson
Managing Director - Upvisory Pty Ltd
M: 0423 657 968 | E: info@upvisory.com.au