Great leadership begins with you. You are the first and foremost leader. Without leadership of you there can be no significant external leadership. Personal leadership is where influence begins.
The principles of personal leadership are well known and have been expounded upon, instructed and written about. Some of what has been said is simple and some just down-right complicated. But the basic principle that we need to be convinced of is that my leadership starts with me. If you do not take leadership of your own life, somebody or something else will. We tend to hand the strengths of our lives over to the weaknesses of others simply due to us not being our own leader first.
What does that mean?
It means I take responsibility for my thinking, my habits, my behaviour and character. It mean I frm the profile of greatness within me first before I try and form profile for others. That profiling is about knowing yourself. Knowing what drives and inspires you, what you are passionate about, what your strengths and weaknesses, know what your enemies of your character are. Without this strategic personal leadership you easily hand over your strengths to those whose insecurities want to control you and you end up thinking its something wrong with you. Yes it is! It’s a lack of personal leadership.
Stories of great leaders that have arisen in times of trial abound, but when you study their lives you find someone who in their quiet times were preparing their inner leadership. When the test hits, when they are required to step up to the plate they have the inner knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses. They have mapped out a strategic thinking a strategic map within themselves. They are personally aware of their key unique qualities.
Have you noticed how some business leaders can step into a room and command attention and respect? Where did that start? Within; A conscious awareness of their purpose, their mission, their direction, their skill and their strengths. I remember watching a TV program of a famous business person, as he walked into the room that was filled with very rich and successful leaders, he immediately commanded their attention and focus. He is a confident leader, because he knows who he is.
Once you have this inner leader identified and strategised, your leadership externally will reveal confidence and passion. This kind of leadership has significant influence. People love to follow a confident leader. They need to follow a passionate leader who is clear not only about his or her task but their own personal vision, purpose, and mission. Someone who is constructing a great leadership within will absolutely be constructing a great leadership without.
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