Self-leadership is for Everyone because you are a leader!
We all have spaces and places where we are called to lead others. Home as a husband/ wife, caregiver, in your sports teams, and obviously at your workplace.
We are all called upon to take the wings of a leader at some point or the other in our lives. Some of us take a flight and soar whereas others fold under the increased pressures of added responsibility.
What many often forget that being a true leader we must first Master the most important part of Leadership, that being leading oneself. And that journey is often a lifelong attempt to understand our inner complexity to make it as simple as possible.
Before effectively leading others we MUST learn to lead ourselves first and this is what I wanted to write about today.
How Self-Mastery is in the Path
As cliché as it sounds this is especially true when it comes to self-mastery and self-leadership.
When we start to pursue the depths of Leadership, we start to very quickly understand that there are no shortcuts nor hacks available.
“The more we know, we know that we don’t know”.
Aristotle
Back in my days as a Dive Master, I thought I knew everything after 60 or so dives in the Ocean. Quickly I became to learn that more I learned I realized that there is so much more to learn.
Humbling experience to say the least when your little world view about yourself as an all-knowing Dive Master is being shattered into pieces!
Upon entering the courses that eventually took me to the instructor level I quickly understood the depths needed towards Scuba diving Mastery. What was needed and what I was willing to do had a gap that I wasn’t willing to cross…
Luckily for me and hence the reason you are reading this article today. 😉
If there was one word that would best describe the path towards Mastery and Self-leadership, that would be “Commitment”!
It is the precursor of any deep inner inquiry.
Clarity on your Vision
Two solid elements of Self-leadership are Clarity and your Vision.
Once we utterly understand and know what we are after, internally and externally, the inquiry becomes slightly lighter and smoother.
And the fact is, or at least for me remains that once we lock in with the Vision for our future, we must periodically revisit that by updating and possibly upgrading it.
Especially what has happened in the world recently, it is obvious that the path you set out originally might have changed.
I periodically shut down and isolate myself for a day or two to make sure I can hear my own thoughts better. Being constantly bombarded by the Information and opinions of others never has brought the needed clarity for me.
Being able to have deep introspection and curiosity towards self-inquiry is what we need to develop a solid vision for the future.
Take time for yourself and yourself ONLY with a piece of paper and pen to jot down what you genuinely want your future to look like.
What kind of a Leader do you wish to be? How would you like to be led yourself? What comes to mind when you hear the words Self & Leadership? Are you on the path of Self-Mastery?
What Self-Leadership is…?
Finally, the answer to the question above in my own little and limited thinking is as follows…
- Self-Leadership is the lifelong path of Mastery that is most often walked on the shadows and deep & dark corners of our own psyche.
- It is about the humbleness of oneself and our place in the world.
- It is about the search for our best selves.
- Self-Leadership is about consistent Curiosity, everyday Struggle, and only an occasional Triumph.
- The expectation of rainy days and the fact that the sunny ones are a privilege, especially at the beginning of the journey.
Are you on the Path?
Ps. I have also published a 51 second quick motivational Vlog post about the brutal honesty and truth about Self-Leadership that you can watch here.
pss. if you did enjoy this read, I’m always curious about any and all the feedback!?
All Green Lights,
Tuomo
