What do you have to do before you can lead others?

Who is the first person we need to lead? To lead others, we must first lead ourselves. Self- leadership is the essence of character growth that begins with oneself and overtime serves others. 

Jim Rohn, American entrepreneur, author and leadership speaker said, "The greatest gift you can give to somebody is your own personal development."

Few leaders are successful unless they pursue personal growth toward leading themselves. They understand that in order to help, invest and develop others, they must invest in their own development as a leader. People are not better unless you become better.

Here are some great ways of how you can invest in your development as a leader and remember-It’s a life long journey that we all must take to create significance for others.

Lead yourself through learning

Become a life-long learner. Leaders have a beginner’s-mind set. They have a passion and commitment for discovering something new about themselves and other people. You cannot truly lead yourself if you are not learning.  Avoid the foolish mistakes of thinking you have nothing to learn.  Read books, attend seminars, visit great places, and secure a mentor. Always practice the discipline of continued learning.

Be in a growth environment

As leaders, we don’t grow unless we are part of a growth-environment. Are we continuously stretching? Are we continuously challenged to show leadership and concern for others? Take on project or an assignment you have not tried before and make contribution. Get uncomfortable and try discovering something new. Ask yourself, am I part of an environment that allows me to stretch my boundaries to become a better leader and serve others.

Be Creative and Innovative

As leaders, we constantly must to seek ways to improve and be creative. Leadership is changing as more and more people are sharing new information and new ideas with each other. It creates an opportunity for leaders to think of new ways of leading people. Leading people today is not the same as it was twenty or even ten years ago. Generation Y’s are part of the new working landscape and leaders have to adopt a new mind-set to lead effectively. Leadership has become more relational and shared, so we have to reinvent ourselves to keep up with new landscape.

Be Accountable for your personal development

If you want results, you have to be accountable. Success of failure begins with your ability to hold yourself to higher standard and have the courage to be honest with yourself. Being accountable does not mean being hard on ourselves. It simply means we are humble enough to admit our mistakes and learn from them. Zero Dean said, “To admit that you made a mistake, is to declare that you are wiser now than you were before.”

“Be a student. Stay open and willing to learn from everyone and anyone. Being a student means you have room for new input. When you know in your heart that every single person you encounter in your lifetime has something to teach you, you are able to utilize their offerings in a profound way.” 

Wayne W Dyer