Self-Leadership: Would You Follow You
Most aspire to lead others. The best lead themselves.
Don’t be an expert at leading others, and a novice at leading yourself.
Self-Leadership Is
- Expecting more from yourself than others.
- Taking responsibility for your own success.
- Managing your emotions instead of being governed by them.
- Focusing on changing yourself more than changing others.
- Responding intentionally instead of reacting instinctively.
- Challenging self-limiting assumptions.
Lead the Toughest Person to Lead
Most leaders are too concerned about leading others.
The desire to lead others makes leading yourself boring.
You see others clearly and yourself dimly. Self-leadership begins when you look in the mirror.
Read The Vagrant to expand self-leadership.
Self-leadership Practices
#1. Listen to yourself.
What do you sound like? Would you follow you?
What does frustration with others reveal about you?
Notice when you blame, complain, defend, or make excuses.
#2. Challenge your assumptions.
Use three sentence starters:
- I can’t because…
- They won’t because…
- This won’t work because…
What assumptions hold you down?
Write the opposite of a limiting assumption. Operate as if it were true for a day.
#3. Expose blame.
Blame blocks self-leadership.
Complete: “I’m frustrated because…” What part of this can you influence?
Take responsibility for your own success.
Explore how you contributed to a problem. What did you do? What did you leave undone?
#4. Practice self-accountability.
Hold yourself accountable before you hold others accountable.
Make commitments. Ask a trusted friend to hold you accountable.
Lead yourself before leading others.
How might you practice self-leadership today?
