In a Justin Lathrop post from a while back, I remember reading:
When it comes to leadership, there are thousands of books about leading and managing a team. However, none of them will be beneficial without your ability to apply the principles to your own life.
I couldn’t agree more! As you know, one of my many passions is the topic of “good” leadership. I’ve often said that good leaders are rare. Why? The reason is that not many people in leadership positions are good at self-leadership. When you are the one who needs to change, well, “good luck with that.”
Justin quotes Todd Wagner in his post, “The most difficult person to lead is me.”
Think about it. It’s one thing to share one’s wisdom about leadership principles. It’s an entirely different thing, though, to actually “practice” these principles yourself.
You’ve heard the expression, “Speed of the leader, speed of the team.” The bottom line is, if you want your team to do this or that, you need to be doing it. It’s that simple.
So how does one work on their “leadership of self?” Here are four important things to consider:
- Realization – The first and most important thing is to realize that it’s true! Realize that what I’m saying in this post is the case, and you need to get on board with it.
- Self Examination – Put pen to paper on what areas of your behavior need work. Make a list. Prioritize the list and get started.
- Get Feedback – Ask others you trust for their opinion of your self-leadership. What things are you expecting of others that you aren’t doing?
- Steady Progress – Know that you won’t be able to change your behavior overnight. It will take slow, steady progress to change your behavior. That’s a fact!