Learn To Lead Yourself Before Leading Others; Part One.
Leadership. What is it? Are we born with it? Can we learn it? Can we get better at it if we can learn it? These are all questions I had about leadership from a young age. Most of my life the only idea of leadership I had was someone who tells others to do something and that it was definitely a trait we were born with. Imagine, 28 years of life with this belief and then coming to find out this was all not true. The truth? We are each at some point DAILY leading someone or some thing.
Before being a great leader to others, we must first become a great leader of ourselves. Why? Because how you lead others will be a direct reflection of how you lead yourself. If you are reactive to problems you face in your personal life, you will be reactive to problems you face within your family or at your workplace. How you do anything is how you do everything.
Keep in mind, I was unable to lead myself for a majority of my life but after self awareness, consistent work and a striving for truth I went on to lead over 100 employees at an organizational level and if I could do that, you can do it too! "How do I become a great leader to myself?" you may be wondering. You may think it's some BIG change you make and it automatically comes, but it's not. It is actually a compound of small things over time. These things are called disciplines or habits. We all have small habits, right down to brushing your teeth. How you have put your personal hygiene on autopilot without noticing is a habit, you can do the same for your leadership. Listed below are some habits I intentionally do daily that help me lead myself, while giving me self confidence that I can lead. These habits have changed my life, and they have the power to do the same for you!
Fitness- This small habit daily changed my life overall, while contributing to leading myself better. Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? Yes. Working out will force you to become disciplined with your time and energy management. When you are able to manage your time (we all get the same 24 hours so leave behind the limiter of 'I don't have enough time') you will begin to manage your time more effectively in other areas of your life. Working out your body will also give you MORE energy (crazy right) because a major powerhouse of energy for our body is stored in our muscles. Fitness will also require you to become more disciplined with your nutrition. To consistently work out, you will have to upgrade what you are taking in and limit what you're taking in now that is not giving you energy. Fitness alone is not just one habit, it's a collection. Few things in life are more powerful to your self confidence and self worth than knowing you can lead yourself into a healthier state physically.
Take in more information- through reading or podcasts. Set a discipline of listening to a podcast or reading a book in an area you want to improve on for 15 minutes a day. Compound this over a year and you can see how much more information you'll gain, apply and the results that can come with it. I spent hours a week learning about leadership through books and podcasts and I still do because leadership is not a destination, it's an ongoing process and I am always looking for an edge or an idea that will make me an even more effective leader. This will help you lead yourself towards self improvement, because the harsh truth is if the current ‘you’ had the ability to achieve all that you want, you would have already achieved it.
Do one uncomfortable action a week- meaning do something that scares you or makes you feel uncomfortable. You don't have to do it by yourself, include friends or family in the action. It could be a sport you have always wanted to try but were afraid of being the 'rookie' at, or were scared of looking like an idiot. Maybe it's an improv or acting class. If you've had an interest in doing something new, try it. This discipline alone will bring you more courage to lead yourself because once you overcome the fear, you will realize it actually wasn't that scary and want to conquer more!
Try a few of these habits and disciplines and reflect on your progress weekly. You are not going to see exponential growth in the first week by the way, it happens over time (hints why God gave us the concept of sowing and reaping with crops), it's the exact same truth, just with ourselves, not a plant in the ground.
Overcome your fears, God has a life planned for you on the other side of discomfort. Check back next week for the second half of Learn To Lead Yourself Before Leading Others Part 2. God bless.