Self-leadership - The foundation of a true leader
A quote on Abraham Lincoln’s desk at white house read “This too shall pass…” when someone asked the importance of it Lincoln replied telling that in tougher times when we are about to break this quote gives him inspiration to carry on. On the other hand he continued.. when the time is good and we are rising we become egoist and start attributing all the success to this “I”. Nothing is visible to us except the “I”. Under this situation the quote gives him an important remainder that this good moment too shall pass and the “I” that he has been over emphasizing will disappear.
This gives us a good reason to ask “what is the importance of leading the I?” and this is where the journey of self-leadership starts. So who is this Self we are talking about? Is it the physical body or the mind? Self is much higher than the mind and body; it is the omnipotent conscience within each one of us. Research in metaphysics tells that what we perceive as “I” is actually lies outside the human body and is just over our head.
Self-leadership is all about being aware of this conscience and leading it. The synergy is created when the conscience is able to harmoniously work with mind, body and soul. At this point one is fully present and aware of the self and the surrounding.
Stephen Covey in this habit of being proactive, talks about the ability to act before your reactions. When the body, mind and soul are in harmony with the conscience one finds the ability to pitch in the area between the external stimulus and reaction to take control of one’s action and produce desired result.
One may find the Self leadership a very abstract concept, but this is the very foundation of every leader we have seen around us. As it is said, how can one lead others if he can’t lead himself?
John Maxwell, in his developing the leader within you series portrays leader as an equipper and talks about the equipper’s game plan as below –
The Journey of A leader
He tells that the journey of a leader starts by developing and leading oneself and this is why self-leadership is considered as the foundation of a true leader.
The famous inscription on the tomb of an Anglican Bishop in Westminster Abbey reads -
“When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world.
As I grew older and wiser I discovered the world would not change –
So I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country, but it too seemed immovable.
As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.
And now I realize as I lie on my deathbed, if I had only changed myself first, then by example I might have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement I would then have been able to better my country,
and who knows, I might have even changed the world.”
As I grew older and wiser I discovered the world would not change –
So I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country, but it too seemed immovable.
As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.
And now I realize as I lie on my deathbed, if I had only changed myself first, then by example I might have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement I would then have been able to better my country,
and who knows, I might have even changed the world.”
We see that the journey to any transformation starts by transforming the thoughts we hold within ourselves and this transformation starts when we are fully present and aware of the self. Self-leadership becomes the gateway to unlock this potential.
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