There are many different definitions, theories and frameworks for leaders and leadership. In general the idea of a leader is someone who can lead other people, not manage. Someone who can rally people towards a vision and inspire people to get there…someone who can empower and equip and influence others. There are different types of leadership frameworks – servant leadership, transparent leadership, authentic leadership, authoritarian leadership, love-based leadership, situational leadership, and many more….
Irrespective of which framework of leadership you subscribe to, it is important to be able to LEAD yourself before you lead anyone else.
The ability to inspire, empower, motivate and move yourself towards your big vision is what matters most. The self-discipline that is required to be your own leader is the critical leadership skill that must be mastered before anything else. Like a moth to the flames, people are automatically drawn to people who display self-leadership. The confidence that emanates from leading oneself quickly attracts followers and you thus automatically are a leader to others.
The first step towards mastery of self-leadership involves Self-Awareness. Clearly knowing who you are, what you believe in, your strengths, your passions, your purpose, your longings, your trigger points, your development areas, your relationship style, your vision, your mission- basically, clarity about anything and everything that is YOU. This can be achieved by deep introspection via meditation, journaling, relaxing, assessments of various kinds and/or feedback from people who truly know you. Being fully aware of who you are is the foundational building block to success.
Action – Leveraging on the deep insight you have into yourself and taking action to master and use the information is the next step. Knowing the inner workings of you, you can now figure out ways to capitalize on your strengths, work on your development needs, improve your relations due to the insight into your relationship styles, set goals and action plans to work towards your goals and most importantly, work on routines and practices that help you discipline your mind. This serves as your compass to move you towards your goals and vision.
Mastery – Self-development is an ongoing effort. Being self-aware and taking action one time is not sufficient to be a leader. On going action is required to gain mastery. Checking in with oneself from time to time to become aware of improvements or regressions and adjusting the action you take helps you with self-mastery. Self-discipline again constitutes a large part of this mastery process.
Mahatma Gandhi is a great example of a person who practiced self-leadership. He was clearly aware of his values and strengths and beliefs. Even in the face of dire circumstances during his struggle against the British, he stood tall by his values and beliefs (of non-violence) and leveraged his strengths to move towards his goal of obtaining Independence for his country. That discipline rallied thousands of troops all over the nation and he was able to lead a nation towards victory.
Do you practice self-leadership? What practices have helped you gain mastery over yourself? Would love to hear.
Another fabulous post!!! I think one of the keys to success is to be authentic. I love that you included “how do you define success”. Often “success” seems to be a moving target. Once we can put some definition around it – it gets much easier to get there!
Remember – Rome wasn’t built in a day . . . and the success of a blog won’t be either. One bite of that elephant!!!