Three keys to self-leadership

You don’t have to be a leader to understand that the skills leaders use make a huge difference in motivate others. If you have experienced a good leader you will know what a difference good leadership makes in the working environment.

People embarking on leadership development programmes often want to learn how to lead others more effectively. However, we are all leaders! We may not be a leader in our professional lives but all of us are leading somebody - even if it’s only ourselves. So why not develop your self-leadership skills and motivate yourself.

Self-leadership is ultimately understanding ourselves and using this knowledge to actively manage our lives. To understand if you are currently engaged in self-leadership, consider the following three keys to self-leadership:

Know yourself

Have you considered your values, beliefs, behaviours or outcomes that are important to you? Leaders understand their personal values and know themselves well. They live their lives by their values. They understand their personality and when it helps or hinder them. Self-aware leaders can use this knowledge to find roles that are suited to their nature.

Be present

Being present in your own life is another trait of effective leaders. Most of us tend to be busy thinking about what has happened to us in the past and what we will be doing in the future. Leaders who are present in their own life are not simply watching it go by, they play an active part and make things happen for themselves.

Follow your dreams

In his book ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ Stephen Covey call this the habit of personal leadership, leading oneself, towards your goals or dreams. By developing the habit of concentrating on relevant activities you will build a platform to avoid distractions and become more productive and successful.