Leaders must have followers. And if you think about it, self leadership is the first part of this. If you are seeking leadership success, you cannot step up to set the pace if the people behind you don’t care what you think and do not respect you. Same if true for self. It all begins with you.
Leadership development is key for a leader who wants team members to be excited about their ideas. Thom Singer knows this, as he has worked to master his own self leadership for over 20 years.
To be a good leader, you must begin by leading yourself in a direction of more success.
Thom Singer takes this episode of the “Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do” podcast into the exploration of self leadership. He is clear about his own mistakes and successes along thie way.
Self Leadership Matters
As a speaker, this concept of self leadership has been at the core of his message for over a decade. You cannot network, build a strong reputation, or reach for your potential unless you are clear on who you are and what you stand for.
If you are living as a fraud, others may not know it. But it is hard to hide your lies from yourself. People cannot lead self if they are out of sync with their own soul. You may be acting bigger than reality, or selling yourself short. Either way, if you are not honest (on the inside), you will bounce around lost.
Confidence is important, but overconfidence or under-confidence are a fine line away.
Communication is key
How you communicate with others will impact your ability to lead, but also you ability to self lead. If others are always misunderstanding you and your intentions, then this is about you. You are probably not internally clear as to who you are and what you are trying to accomplish.
The best leaders want to always be learning and growing (“those of you listening to his podcast are clearly good leaders, as you come here to learn and grow”). There is a dedication to being a lifelong learner. When you leave your own ego at the door and admit you can still learn, you are a better leader.
Being aware of who you are is hard, and often even harder for younger people. I know that millennials will not like hearing this, but it is true.
We spend a lot of time doing what we think is expected of us in our lives and careers. Somewhere around age 35 many people come to be aware of who they are (the good stuff and the bad stuff). That awareness allows you to be honest about your intentions and motivations. The games you have to play in relationships lessen as you age. Your B.S. meter is also better trained..
By not having to hide your true self (from others of from yourself), you become more real and thus more apt for self leadership.
Becoming less judgmental of others is a big part of knowing your own strengths and weaknesses.
Set goals and make the decision to take action
To lead yourself you have to define your goals. Having goals make it easy to navigate the tough decisions we all face daily. To achieve success you have to be committed to clarifying goals and taking the necessary action to move toward their completion.
Knowing your purpose is key. This is not some trendy “Know your why” statement, but instead a clarifying point where you realize that when you know your purpose in every interaction with others, you make a difference. This is how you leave a legacy.
And in the end, the person who masters great self leadership will have influence on others. Followers lineup for the leader who knows about their purpose and can clearly communicate that message.
Listen to episode 434 and share it with a friend. Are you mastering self leadership? Drop Thom a note at Thom @ ThomSinger.com
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Thom Singer is a motivational keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies / emcee. He is an “almost” best selling author, and the host of this popular podcast. If you are planning a meeting, call Thom to discover if the is the right fit to have a meaningful impact on your conference. https://thomsinger.com