What does it mean to be a great self-leader? Outstanding leaders have mastered the art of being able to lead themselves first before leading others.
Self-leadership involves working on yourself, developing your abilities, and taking responsibility for your actions. This type of leader has the knowledge to influence their thinking, behaviors, and feelings. Mastering the ability to guide themselves in positive ways allows them to achieve personal success.
Importance of Self-Leadership
Examine the photo above; you’ll enjoy their stories of how becoming a great self-leader affected their lives and careers.
Susan’s Story:
Susan is a leader in a very large insurance company, where she manages over 200 administrative people. She began her career with this corporation 14 years ago, starting in the same administrative department she now works. Susan had a growing family and realized it was necessary to become a great leader for her children. Mastering those leadership skills, she could apply the same techniques to her everyday work life. Self-leaders are built from within, consistently working to develop themselves. Susan says that learning whatever comes your way is something that you can handle. She loves the confident person she has become and feels that accounts for her ongoing success.
Janet’s Story
Janet works in the fashion industry as an entrepreneur. Her industry is highly competitive, and she knows she has to stay ahead of the trends. She says that being a good self-leader is essential because it helps her harness her creativity on an ongoing basis and keeps her company growing. Janet sets clear goals for herself as a leader, motivating her to succeed. Janet says she is internally inspired in that she loves succeeding at her chosen career, enjoys connecting with other people, and loves being in control of her own life. Clear signs Janet has mastered self-leadership.
Bill’s Story
Bill is a sales executive and manages a team of 24 sales representatives. Being a great leader, Bill says, comes out of being a good self-leader, specifically managing your behavior. “You have to manage the things you can control.” You can manage your behavior in doing the things that make sales. In sales, you have to work on your self-talk. Rejection is common, and if you feel bad about yourself, you won’t succeed. It’s important not to let rejection destroy your confidence. That is where positive self-talk comes in. Self-talk is critical in becoming a self-leader and a great leader for others.
Bill also mentions the value of emotional intelligence in becoming a great self-leader. Emotional intelligence is a concept associated with one’s ability to control, evaluate, and perceive emotions. It can be learned over time. It’s essential in a selling environment. He said he didn’t always feel aware of the importance of I.Q. (emotional intelligence) until getting into management, and he had to decipher his people’s feelings. Emotional awareness is part of emotional intelligence when you can identify your feelings and have the ability to harness and manage them to achieve greater success.
You’ve read the stories of three successful leaders and how developing great self-leadership has helped them become more effective leaders in their careers. What about your story as a leader? I would love to hear about your journey as a leader. Just drop me an email or schedule a discovery call on my website.
Want to learn more about self-leadership? Check out my new course on this topic and others at chidgeyleadershipmethod.com. Also, you’ll find my latest Wednesday Morning Memo on my youtube channel.
I look forward to chatting with you.