If you think leading others is tough, try self-leadership. Bill George said, “The hardest person you will ever have to lead is yourself.”
Self-leadership means:
- High standards. Expect more from yourself than you expect from others.
- Humility. Reject special privileges. A title doesn’t make you better than.
- Personal responsibility. Blaming isn’t leading.
- Go first. Never ask others to do anything you wouldn’t do yourself.
Michael Jackson on Leadership: The Man in the Mirror
Chorus:
“I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change”
The song, “Man in the Mirror,” peaked at #1 on the U.S. charts in January 1988.
Responsibility:
Motivation to lead begins with a problem to solve, a frustration to answer, or a drive to make something better. But eventually, you realize that leadership isn’t “out there.”
Frustration with others isn’t leadership. Owning YOUR frustrations is the beginning of leadership.
Leaders aren’t finger-pointers.
Blaming doesn’t change anything. The real question is about personal responsibility, not blame.
Compassion:
“I see the kids in the streets,
With not enough to eat
Who am I to be blind?
Pretending not to see their needs”
Compassion is the beginning of a life that matters.
- Leadership without compassion is tyranny.
- Compassion turns toward tough issues, not away.
- Compassion turns high standards into inspiration.
Be passionate about being compassionate.
Influence requires an open heart.
What does self-leadership look like to you?
What leadership lessons do you see in the song, “Man in the Mirror?”
After material:
Official video: Man in the Mirror
Full lyrics: Man in the Mirror
Written by: Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett
Trivia: The only place Jackson appears in the video is in a crowd shot toward the end.