Leading Yourself to a More Positive Situation in Work and Life
More often than not, when a room full of employees is asked the question, “Who in this room is a leader?” they all point to the manager or supervisor. Even the managers and supervisors usually point to someone higher in the chain of command.
Why is that?
Is it because only the supervisor is responsible for leading and directing the work of the team? Is the manager the only one invited to leadership meetings? Is it because they have never considered themselves as a leader? Why is it that so many people don’t have confidence in saying they have leadership abilities?
I haven’t figured out any definitive answers to those questions quite yet, but what I do know is that I have news for you – we are ALL leaders!
Lead Thyself
Before you can lead others, you must first know how to lead yourself. Even those who are not interested in leading others are still leading themselves each and every day through every decision they make. Considering yourself a leader and being able to lead yourself is crucial to being successful at leading others or getting to where you want to go in life.
Many people wander this planet aimlessly day in and day out. Is it any surprise they’re often times not happy with where they end up? Why are so many people expecting someone else or some outside force to get them where they want to be? Your life is in your own hands. The only thing stopping you from leading yourself to success is YOU!
Personal or self-leadership is the ability to take responsibility for your own actions and decisions, develop a sense of who you are, what you can do and what you can’t do, have an idea of where you want to go in life, and then make goals and actively decide to take the steps to get you there.
Be a Better Leader
So, what can you do to be a better leader? Some might say the answer lies in how you delegate or direct the work of others. I say it’s all about how you direct yourself and lead by example.
What are some of your personal goals? Think about your daily routine and habits. Write down the things you do everyday without thinking and consider if those things are helping you achieve your goals or hindering your progress.
You can change bad habits by paying attention to them and actively making an effort to change your responses or routines throughout the day. By no means am I saying this is easy, but it can have dramatic effects on your everyday life.
The Mindset of a Leader
I strongly suggest to also consider your attitude and mindset. There’s an age old saying that says, if you change your attitude, you can change your life! A positive attitude can do wonders for one’s self esteem, successes, and personal and professional relationships.
I don’t know about you, but I am much more inclined to follow a positive leader than a negative one and would rather spend my personal time with Positive Pat instead of Negative Nancy. To help increase positive thoughts, consider keeping a gratitude journal or practice mindfulness and meditation that can help strengthen your brains ability to find gratitude and joy in all things in your life.
At the end of the day, you can only truly control yourself. Leading yourself to a more positive situation can motivate and encourage those around you to do the same. That’s called leading by example and is probably one of the easiest and most effective ways to lead, if you ask me. It definitely takes practice, but practice makes perfect!
Best of luck to each of you in your personal leadership endeavors!
Alison Evans
Human Resources Manager
Your Employment Solutions
