The Hard Truth About Self-Leadership Development
The Hard Truth About Self-Leadership Development
Hi there, team! I’m back for another moment of influence. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about self-leadership development. So, this month’s blog is going to be a recap of the foundation of the I in Team series as well as some of the hard truths surrounding it.
What is Self-Leadership Development?
Put simply, self-leadership development is the process of building the required mindset, habits, and skills to appropriately lead yourself prior to leading others. You take responsibility for yourself rather than relying on external motivation. By focusing on your development, you begin to manage how you think, act, and respond. The reward for self-leadership development is achieving consistent goals and having a positive influence on those around you.
Key Components of Self-Leadership Development
When reading this section, ask yourself these questions (as it pertains to this list):
- What are my strengths?
- What are my weaknesses?
- What do I feel called to learn next?
Self-Awareness
We discuss self-awareness throughout the I in Team series, which is the ability to reflect on and understand yourself. Through this reflection, you gain insights into your strengths, weaknesses, values, motivations, and emotional triggers.
Personal Accountability
Taking accountability is required for leading others, so it’s absolutely required to lead yourself. Own your actions and follow through on your commitments. Learn from your mistakes rather than placing blame.
Setting Goals + Being Motivated
When we set meaningful personal and professional goals, we maintain a level of purpose, discipline, and resilience necessary to lead others. (Pst ~ don’t forget to make your goals S.M.A.R.T.!)
Emotional Intelligence
Closely related to self-awareness, emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your emotions. One step further is empathy, which is the ability to demonstrate understanding for others’ emotions.
Decision-Making + Problem-Solving
Making thoughtful decisions that are aligned with your goals and values is imperative for self-leadership development. Choosing to self-develop is, itself, a thoughtful decision. Plus, it allows you to take initiative and solve challenges proactively.
Time + Energy Management
Putting yourself and your needs first to avoid burnout and perform in peak condition is part of having a positive influence. It requires you to manage your schedule, focus, and set kind boundaries.
Continuous Learning
Seek opportunities to improve your skills and knowledge through mentorship programs, online or in-person classes, through reading or listening to podcasts, and any experience where you are taking the time to learn and better yourself.
Why Self-Leadership Matters
There are only benefits to having strong self-leadership skills. These include but are not limited to:
- Improved productivity and performance
- Adaptability to change
- Resilience to challenges
- Strengthened communication and collaboration
- Increased confidence
- Activated leadership and management skills
Where the Truth Gets… Hard
Self-leadership development isn’t as easy as it sounds on screen. There are many pitfalls, both internal and external, that can hinder your ability to grow. It starts with being intentional. This is going to take a lot of work, your whole lifetime in fact. There is no end goal for developing yourself; you’re always learning and growing. Committing to this growth takes desire and motivation.
Some people have limited self-awareness that prevents them from reflecting and having the desire to adapt. People are also resistant to change; they are deeply engrained in their habits. From personal experience, I can say there are no habits more deeply engrained than thought patterns. Therefore, challenging those patterns can be very uncomfortable for some, especially since early progress can be slow. Change requires sustained effort.
People have poor emotional regulation, especially when under pressure. This is one of the hardest aspects of self-leadership. Strong emotions can override good intentions. Speaking of good intentions, those aren’t enough! People need motivation to self-develop, and that motivation is exclusively internal. You cannot change anyone other than yourself, and if you want to change yourself, all your motivation will come from within.
Bottom Line
Self-leadership development is something everyone will benefit from. Even if you have no aspirations to be a manager, being the best version of yourself is always the best option. You are always influencing, so you are always leading. If you need help self-reflecting, being held accountable, and setting goals, contact IA Business Advisors. We would be honored to help you one-on-one with your self-leadership development.
The reward for self-leadership development is achieving goals and having a
positive influence on those around you. Start today by focusing on your development.
