How does great leadership start? Start with yourself!
Why is leadership needed? The utopia of leadership vs. reality
You often wonder: if everything were perfect, would you need leaders? In an ideal world, perhaps we would all work together in harmony, without direction. But because we are human beings, social beings with different desires, goals and perspectives, friction, misunderstanding and under-performance are bound to arise in our lives together.
Therefore, the management a prerequisite for successful communities. The solution is not a "hero leader" who shines in the spotlight in every situation. Great leadership is more about quiet, everyday choices, humanity and self-control.
The reality of leadership: three key challenges every leader should know
The essence of leadership is nothing other than an encounter with reality. This encounter is embodied in three main challenges that every leader must face:
1. Lack of time: a leader's greatest enemy
There is always more to do than time. The rush, the "headless chicken syndrome" traps many leaders. If you feel like you're always on the run, you're not alone. It's part of the leadership challenge.
2. Complexity of working with people
Leadership is not only shown in big strategies, but also in small situations: signing an email, having a short conversation, or handling a small conflict. Every interaction counts.
3. Power and responsibility
Even randomly assigned status can transform your behaviour in a matter of minutes. Power can affect you unconsciously, and you can easily slip into selfishness.
So the question is not whether you can avoid these factors, but whether, how to manage them consciously and effectively.
The key to enlightened leadership: becoming masters of self-leadership
History teaches us that great leadership does not start with leading others, but with with control over yourself. To be truly authentic, you must first face yourself.
This is a practical necessity for all managers. If you cannot manage your own emotions, reactions and thoughts, you will not be able to inspire others in a lasting way.
Why is self-management important for all leaders?
A modern manager's schedule at least 40% should be dedicated to self-driving. It may seem like a lot at first, but think about it: if you don't have inner clarity, how can you give direction to others?
The three pillars of self-leadership: a practical guide
A coaching approach is where it takes centre stage. There are three key strategies that can help you to self-manage:
1. Develop self-awareness: see what you criticise in others!
One of the most powerful exercises for self-improvement: imagine the worst leader you have ever met. What did he do wrong? Did he yell? Withheld information? What did he do wrong?
Then rate yourself from 1 to 5 on the same scale. Surprisingly, you often find that you carry the same patterns yourself.
Coaching question for self-reflection:
"Where is it in me that I criticise in others?"
2. Self-reflection: daily practice for leadership growth
In the rush, you rarely stop, even though the best leaders regularly practice self-reflection. You don't need hours, just 2-5 minutes of conscious thought a day.
Think about it: what challenges are there today and how would the leader you want to become respond to them?
A coaching question for development:
"If I was driving today as my best future self, how would I behave?"
3. Self-regulation: re-framing at critical moments
One of the most difficult parts of leadership is managing tensions. When someone doesn't deliver what they promised, anger is natural. But your reactions shape your relationships and the mood of the team.
A useful exercise for stressful situations: Stop for 1-2 seconds and ask yourself the question:
"How important is this problem 1 to 10 for my life goals?"
Most situations are not more than 2-3 point petty. Recognition helps you calm down and react constructively.
Practical steps to increase leadership effectiveness
How to start self-driving today?
- Establishing a morning routine: Take 5 minutes to think about your daily goals
- Evening evaluation: What did you learn about yourself as a leader today?
- Weekly self-reflection: In what situations have you reacted as your best leadership self would?
What should you look for in leadership development?
- Consistency: small steps, but regular
- Honesty: Be brutally honest with yourself
- Patience: Leadership growth takes time
- Practicality: Develop not by theories but by action
Towards a leadership utopia: why is it worth investing in self-leadership?
Great leadership doesn't start with external circumstances, it starts with through internal work and conscious development. Self-leadership, self-awareness, self-reflection and self-regulation are the foundations on which lasting leadership success and team success can be built.
What is the reward for someone who takes self-driving seriously?
And why is it worth it? Because 10-20 years from now, when someone recalls the best leader they ever worked with, chances are they've just will think of you. It is the most valuable reward a leader can receive.
Next steps: start today!
Don't wait for tomorrow! Choose one of the three pillars of self-leadership and start practising today. The utopia of great leadership can become a reality - start with yourself!
Are you ready for leadership development? The best time to start: now!
SELF-MANAGEMENT WORKBOOK EXERCISES FOR LEADERS
1. Developing self-awareness; Character mirror
Objective: recognise their own hidden leadership patterns.
Steps:
- Describe the worst manager you have ever worked with. (What was disturbing about him? How did he behave?)
- Describe 3-5 patterns of behaviour (e.g. shouting, not giving feedback, being selfish).
- Now score yourself 1-5 for each point: How typical are you in this?
- 1 = not at all like me
- 5 = I often see it too
- Describe a specific action you would change for the highest score.
Coaching question:
"If a colleague were to evaluate me in secret now, would he write the same thing about me that I wrote about the bad manager?"
2. Self-reflection; 5 minute daily routine
Objective: raise awareness of leadership responses and patterns.
Steps:
- At the end of each day, sit down in a quiet place and answer the following questions (even in a diary):
- What was my biggest leadership challenge today?
- How did I react?
- What did I do right?
- What would I do differently next time?
- The next morning, think about what situations you might encounter, and how the leader they want to become would behave?
Coaching question:
"At the end of today, will I be proud of the way I drove?"
3. Self-regulation; Framing in practice
Objective: managing tension and impulsive reactions.
Steps:
- When you get into a stressful situation, stop for 2 seconds before reacting.
- Ask yourself:
- "On a scale of 1-10, how important is this situation in relation to my big goals in life?"
- If the value is below 5, take a deep breath and choose a a calmer response.
Coaching question:
"What does this situation teach me about myself, instead of just blaming others?"
Extra exercise 4: Management resource map
Objective: see clearly what internal resources you can rely on.
Steps:
- Make three columns on a piece of paper:
- My strengths as a leader
- My areas of study
- My support tools / people
- Fill in each column with at least 5-5 points.
- Choose a specific strength that you will consciously use more of in the coming week.
Coaching question:
"What internal resource can I draw on today to help me deal with the situation?"
How to use the workbook?
- Do at least 2-3 exercises a week.
- Leaders driver's logwhere he records his experiences and insights.
- Once a month, review your notes and look for patterns: what has changed, what needs further practice?
