Leadership is about having a vision and inspiring others. This has been and will always be true, but modern leaders and high achievers face the challenge of processing information faster than ever before. In addition to leading others, they also need to lead themselves.
Executive Summary
Today's leaders and high achievers are not just managing others; they're leading themselves, writes Professional Coach Marsha Egan. They have a vision for themselves—not just for their businesses or for the people they lead. They have goals and action plans. They set weekly priorities that work toward their overall life plans. They choose how to spend their time and don't allow time to manage them. And they take care of their bodies and minds so that they can nurture others. In this hustle-bustle world, the key to survival is making time to survive and thrive, Egan notes. If we don't, we'll get lost in the noise.Whether you hold a leadership position or not, your ability to lead yourself relates directly to your potential to reach the successes you desire.
Managing yourself today means making the time to do what is necessary to your success and the success of those around you. This ability to “self-manage” or “self-lead” is critical. Self-management enables leaders to focus on those actions that are most important for their businesses and themselves.
I’ve known many people who do a great job of managing others, yet they struggle meeting their own deadlines or targets. Why? Is it that they give themselves an extension so they can continue working with others? Is it because there is seemingly less accountability? Is it because they don’t really believe in themselves?