There’s a “leadership” cliché that goes something like this:
“You can only consider yourself a leader if there are others following you.”
As obviously correct as this idea sounds – I disagree. In my opinion, we all have a distinct and equal opportunity to lead at least one person for the entirety of our lives.
Some people take this
opportunity and create for themselves success in relationships, in business and
in their families. Others fail to take it, struggling thru life a dollar short
and a day late, wondering why others seem to “catch all the breaks”. Which one
do you most relate to?
You have a fresh
opportunity to lead yourself every day. Even if no one ever “follows” you, your
ability to lead your time, your emotions, your passions and most importantly
your thoughts will quickly distinguish you from others who neglect to develop
this ability. Self-Leadership is a skill – something that can be improved upon
and developed. It’s not the same as repression or “stuffing” your emotions. How
important to you is honing this ability? The more attention you give to it, the
more important it will become to you.
Take some time today to
identify the areas in your life in which you feel “out of control”. Write them
down and critically look at them, committing to be realistic and objective
about your responsibility in each area. Don’t take more than is yours, but don’t
shirk your responsibility either.
Do you feel like the
days get away from you with important tasks left undone?
Do you wish you could go
back to conversations and speak differently?
Do you regret losing
your cool in front of your kids or co-workers over something relatively small
in the grand scheme of things?
If you consistently
answer these questions in the affirmative, perhaps you should consider how well
you are leading yourself, and how you might go about improving your ability in
this foundational area.
Lean Forward.
-Bekka
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