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What is self-leadership and why is it important?

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تم إضافة السؤال من قبل Sidrah Nadeem , Global Marketing Manager , Hill+Knowlton Strategies
تاريخ النشر: 2016/04/21
Khalid Ghaffar
من قبل Khalid Ghaffar , Consultant for Business Development , Waters Corporation USA

Self-Leadership is the first level of leadership and applies to any person, whether or not they hold a management or supervisory position. Self leadership is the ability of someone to guide themselves to positive places that they have never been before. It enables a person to fulfill their potential while building a strong foundation from which to make daily decisions -- both professionally and personally. Without a strong sense of self-leadership, people can feel out of control, overwhelmed and un- focused. 1. CLARIFY YOUR PURPOSE Purpose is at the base of your personal foundation and defines your reason for living. Without a well-defined purpose, you are at the mercy of others who will try to define your purpose for you. So the self-leadership journey begins by asking the vital question: Why do you exist? This can be a rather intimidating question but it must be asked and answered if you are to begin the process of leading yourself. It is your choice -- you can play the role of the victim and take a chance and play the odds by being a part of someone else's purpose or your can be the victor and develop your own purpose and plan. Is the purpose of your life to simply breathe in oxygen or is there more meaning to it? SELF-LEADERS HAVE A PURPOSE. 2. USE YOUR GIFTS -- AND USE THEM WITH DISCIPLINE We all have God-given gifts, talents, and abilities for our use. The big question is: "Are you using your gifts?" The bestselling author H. Jackson Brown remarked, "Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement but you never know if it's going to be forward, backward or sideways." The only way that a person can realize their fullest selfleadership potential is to use their gifts every day. This takes a disciplined approach. Do you know what your gift(s) are? Are you using your gifts every day? Your gifts are meant to be shared with others. Without discipline, the gifts that you have will not reach their maximum potential. Have you ever noticed that those people who have passion seem to be using their gifts to the fullest levels? The primary reason is that they have taken the word PASSION and fully recognizing that it means PASS-I-ON (passing some of I on to others). Self leaders develop their gifts with discipline 3. REFLECT & FORWARD YOUR LIFE Self -leaders understand the power of reflection and what it means to their growth potential. To reflect means to step back and learn from what life is revealing to you. This could come in the form of information that you already know or, more importantly, it is information and feedback that comes from other sources. Rather than be quick to defend your position, consider using the gift of feedback to your advantage. For example, 360 feedback assessments are becoming very popular as a way of presenting feedback from a variety of sources (peers, bosses, employees, customers, vendors, etc.) The most important part of the 360 feedback process is what you do with the information. Are you inclined to open yourself to things that will reveal your opportunities for development or do you become defensive? Self-leaders accept feedback as a gift. After going through the 360 feedback process, one General Manager in a mid-sized corporation commented, "The report revealed my people said I am not communicating my vision to them." Initially, the manager shook her head in disbelief, re- counting several meetings in which she explicitly shared her views about her vision with her employees. But after reflecting on the statements, she recognized that her communication style was not connecting with her employees. Without this candid feedback, she would have never known that there was a disconnect. Reflecting highlights learning opportunities from which you can grow significantly. Self-Leaders reflect and forward their life. 4. SERVE OTHERS Self leaders understand the power that is generated from serving others. This links back to numbers 1 and 2 (purpose and gifts). The concept of servant leadership is thousands of years old. Yet, the essence of it lies in the question, "Do those whom you serve grow as persons?" This can apply to those we serve on the job as well as our family members, friends, neighbors, etc. SelfLeaders are servant leaders. 5. PULL UP THE STAKE When an elephant is born, shortly after birth, they are chained to a stake to keep them from wandering away. It is estimated that during the first 3 years of their life, they pull on the stake approximately 10,000 times. Even when they grow to full maturity, they rely on their wonderful memory from childhood that keeps them from pulling up the stake. They give in to the desire to pull up the stake because they convince themselves that it is useless. Many of us have elephant sized habits in our own life that keep us from reaching our true potential. We have given up trying. Unlike elephants, self-leaders are continually "pulling up the stake." They know what their elephant sized habits are -- and come up with strategies to break away. Self- leaders pull up the stake. 6. MAKE THE PRESENT PERFECT One study estimated that people live either in the past or in the future between 50-95% of the time. There are two conditions of time: now and not now. Self -leaders recognize that the past is gone and they have no control over the future. Living in the now --or present-- is both healthy and more productive. It is a waste of our energy and time to stay in the past or the future much more than 20% of our total waking hours. If you live minute by minute, hour to hour, there will be much less chance of dwelling into the past or dreaming too far into the future. Self-leaders make the present perfect. 7. LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN Listening is the one activity you do more in life than any other activity except to breathe. How much time and energy do you exert in developing the communication skill that has been with you since birth? Self-leaders capitalize on the power of listening. They listen for what people say, what they don't say, and what they would like to say but don't know how to put into words. When is the last time that you were either involved in or observed a situation in which there was a cost due to a listening breakdown? Most people can identify several recent examples in their own life. The costs can be staggering. SELF-LEADERS LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN 8. BE 100% HONEST--WHEN SPEAKING WITH OTHERS Holding back how we "really" feel when communicating with others does more damage to ourselves, as well as to the relationships we have with others. It takes courage and practice to "level" with others in a non-aggressive and non-judgmental manner. Self-Leaders have developed the ability to give unconditionally and constructive feedback. This is an integritybased style of living. SELF LEADERS ARE 100% OF THE TIME - WITH OTHERS AND WITH THEMSELVES. 9. STOP TOLERATING What are you tolerating? A toleration is something or someone that keeps you from having the quality of life that you deserve. Make a list of all the things that you are you are putting up with currently and make decision to do one of 3 things: 1. eliminate it; 2. reframe how you view it; or 3. respond to it. One survey noted that people most tolerate their car; their home; their quality of life; stress at work; their own bodies; money concerns; the behaviors of others; delays and waiting in lines; shopping and sales clerks; and problems. Once you have identified your tolerations, begin to work on them! Until you handle your tolerations, no significant changes can happen. Self-leaders stop tolerating! 10. TAKE CALCULATED RISKS & FOCUS ON SUCCESS Self- Leaders are risk takers. The word failure is not part of their vocabulary. They focus on succeeding rather than on not failing. For example, speaking in public is rated as the number one fear of adults in America. Those people who have this fear are typically more concerned about embarrassing themselves in front of others than in sharing meaningful information with their audience. Most of their energy is invested in not failing. Unfortunately, in their attempt not to fail, they miss the true spirit of learning-- which is built on taking a risk. SELF LEADERS REGULARLY TAKE CALCULATED RISKS AND FOCUS ON SUCCESS. By spending time and energy on these 10 actions you will quickly strengthen your self leadership skills and be on the path to realizing your fullest potential. 

sameer abdul wahab alfaddagh
من قبل sameer abdul wahab alfaddagh , عضو هيئة تدريس , جامعة دلمون

The term is used to describe self-driving influence exercised by humans on themselves and design to control their behaviorIt is intended to drive self-process through which individuals seek to influence themselves to achieve self-orientation and motivation necessary for the performance.The term self-driving is one of the terms that represent self-effect, also show a look of self-control, which include behavioral and cognitive look at how it affects individuals in themselves. Thus, it can self-leadership is widely defined to include thinking and behavior used by humans to influence themselves also implies that human beings see themselves as a source of stimulation and control.

. Thus, self-leadership differ from psychological empowerment, self-defined leadership as a process using a range of behavioral and cognitive strategies. The psychological empowerment The state of cognitive occur due to a range of cognitive factors. So self-leadership is an effective mechanism to facilitate the empowerment and through strengthening the perception sense, purpose, self-determination, self-sufficiency Self-leadership strategies and are generally divided into three main categories

1.                                                                                                        concentration behavior strategies.2. Reward innate strategies.3. deductive thinking patterns strategies.First: Strategies concentration behavior. And is designed to increase self-awareness, which leads to the successful management of behaviors involved do necessary tasks, but not grainy or unwanted. Based on the theory of self-management and self-control, including self-leadership strategies focus behavior: self-observation, self-determining goals, self-reward, feedback correction and self-review.Second: the innate reward strategies. It focuses on aspects of interesting and fun inherent in tasks or activities designed to create the conditions to make the individual feel motivated and rewarded by the task or activity itself. It includes bonus innate strategies on two models presidents:

2.                                                                                                        1. Build a mental image more interesting and exciting task or activity in order to get value for the same job and become so stimulating 2. Shaping the perception of an individual activity performed by focusing on haunted with all aspects of the reward of the two models, in fact, promoting a sense of self-sufficiency and determine the fate..

 

3.                                                                                                        Third: deductive thinking patterns strategies. Dealing with the cognitive processes management and includes three main tools to shape thinking: self-analysis and improvement of beliefs systems, fantasies of mind to the results of successful performance, talk positive for the same to the effective use of these cognitive strategies specific means to facilitate the formation of deductive thinking patterns and methods innate to think that could affect the patterns performance in a positive way. More specifically, individuals can examine their thinking patterns in order to identify, confront and bring the beliefs and assumptions of negative beliefs rational and positive thinking to facilitate more evidentiary patterns..

Md Fazlur Rahman
من قبل Md Fazlur Rahman , Procurement Specialist , Engineering and Planning Consultants Ltd

In a group, when you proactively communicate to break the ice or to help others or to motivate others, you are really showing a true self-leadership. It is important as the group behavior/group dynamics starts rolling towards goal.

There are four different aspects to self-leadership.

  • Self-awareness: The ability to acknowledge, understand and be conscious of one’s own values, perspectives, strengths, weaknesses, leadership propensity and emotional needs.
  • Self-management: The ability to nurture and harness one’s own passion, abilities, emotions and leadership capacity in decision- making.
  • Other-awareness: The ability to acknowledge and recognize the passion, gifting, strengths, weaknesses, potential and needs of others.
  • Other-management: The ability to grow and motivate other people to develop their potential and/or  fulfil the organization’s objectives.

Great leaders begin with self-awareness and move to self-management, then proceed to other-awareness culminating in other-management. It is not a linear but an interactive effect among all four factors.

Self-leadership is important :

Appreciating others

When you truly know yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, you will appreciate others. Lowney points out that because leaders are anchored by an appreciation of their own dignity, they develop an appreciation of the aspirations, potential and dignity of others. This is how they transform the way they look at others.

Preventing derailment

Many hotshot, rising stars self-destruct, never achieve their early potential because of the lack of self-leadership. Daniel Goleman, in his extensive study on leadership derailment, points out, “When I compared star performers with average ones in senior leadership positions, nearly 90 per cent of the difference in their profiles was attributable to emotional intelligence factors rather than cognitive abilities.”

Ensuring long-term success

Great leaders have a long-term perspective for life and success. They are not here for the short-term but for the long haul. Only leaders who practise consistent self-leadership can ensure long-term success. The temptation to push for quarterly profits at all costs can derail the leader. Unless leaders have a keen sense of self-leadership, they cannot stay focused on what’s important.

Leaving a legacy

All leaders leave legacies, whether good or bad. They leave their  imprint on the organization through their beliefs, values and attitudes. Hence, effective self-leadership is essentially about leaving a great legacy for the people we are leading.

Let me conclude by making two pertinent observations in self- leadership.

First, self-leadership is an ongoing process of self-reflection. As Lowney writes, “Self awareness is no one-time project. No less essential than the initial assessment of one’s strengths, weaknesses, values, and world view is the ongoing, everyday habit of self-reflection, the examen. It’s an opportunity to measure life — a little bit at a time — against principles and goals.”

Second, continual self-leadership is a mark of leadership maturation. Personal leadership is a never-ending work in progress that draws on continually maturing self-understanding. Some people never mature as leaders — they remain insecure, self-defeating, juvenile or worse still, delinquent in their leadership development.

Hence, self-leadership is imperative if we want to be great leaders.

Ghada Eweda
من قبل Ghada Eweda , Medical sales hospital representative , Pfizer pharmaceutical Plc.

Good question, I believe that the most important ingredient of becoming an exceptional leader is the ability to lead oneself. I think that Self-leading is the ability to make the right decisions both in career and life, not just for subordinates at workplace. One matter is our  ability to make the critical and very difficult decisions when choices are vague and best choice is non-obvious .  For me , self-leadership is the touch challenges I faced with them when I am by myself  alone, it testes my ability to choose and follow through that which is difficult when no one will see it nor appreciate it. I believe that my greatest leaders struggle with self-leadership in very large ways is change my career from marketing and sales to marketing management  , having a MBA degree in business Administration was and still my guidance and wisdom struggle. Personally I know that my greatest challenges are not the decisions that my startups make in terms of Pharma sales or how enjoy my wealthy life but rather the quiet moments I decided to change my career to be a mentor in faculty of business, I had mixed issues of pride, anxiety, confidence, rest, recreation, and the personal management of time , these are the things that the world very rarely sees but which inform and dictate how oneself decisions are made.  On sum, I see that growth of self-leaders not dependant on leadership materials, conferences, programs, coaching, or the numerous organizational leadership books that are sitting on our shelf but it could be attained through use of the most sustainable development strategies to decide with others such as family, friends, teams and even subordinates  and engage them in our critical decisions.  

Omar Saad Ibrahem Alhamadani
من قبل Omar Saad Ibrahem Alhamadani , Snr. HR & Finance Officer , Sarri Zawetta Company

Thanks

Agree with all given answers

Nuridin Islam Diab
من قبل Nuridin Islam Diab , Training Manager , Bbusinesss LLE

I recommend a book answering this question: "The one minute self-leadership" - by Ken Blanchard. In a nutshell, it's the ability to set goals and achieve those goals in the different areas of your life after setting your personal mission statement and vision. 

Ahmed Mohamed Ayesh Sarkhi
من قبل Ahmed Mohamed Ayesh Sarkhi , Shared Services Supervisor , Saudi Musheera Co. Ltd.

agree with great answer above

Hisham Hashim
من قبل Hisham Hashim , Business Development Manager , RAS SERVICES P.L.C

Good Question Sidrah, thank you for posting such an important and enlightening question as always.

 

Well leadership starts from once own. The eccentric part of leadership is first guiding oneself to one path or certain vision of life and career. It is the practice of intentionally influencing your thinking, feeling and behaviors to achieve your objective.

Evidently the importance of self leadership has been discussed over and over on many panels. Even the answers provided by experts here suggest that. I read an article that explains the relationship of success and self leadership and it really amazed me. Please as recommended By Mr. Nuridin read the book "The one minute self-leadership" - by Ken Blanchard and let me add some i am  sure you will find them interesting. " How Successful People" Think By John Maxwell  "The Success Principles" By Jack Canfield

 

ghazi Almahadeen
من قبل ghazi Almahadeen , Project Facilitator , Jordan River Foundation

Thank you for inviting ........... I agreed with the answers Mr. Samir

ACHMAD SURJANI
من قبل ACHMAD SURJANI , General Manager Operations , Sinar Jaya Group Ltd

Self-leadership definition: Self-leadership is the practice of intentionally influencing your thinking, feeling and behaviors to achieve your objective/s.  This is the beginning of leadership. Self Leadership shows others who you are and if you are the type of person they want to follow. Self Leadership is something that I am interested in and am working on personally. I think that we all would love to say we are great at the intentionality of our actions, but may fall short in some way or another. It can be difficult to be consistently perfect in our thinking, feelings and behaviours. We do have a conscious choice but can be affected by the outside world. If I desire to have a strong business, many happy clients, be financially sound and whatever else, then I always have specifics to work towards. If I don’t have this clarity, how do I know where to come back to when I feel off? Some of the things that can take me off track are;
  • Other peoples agendas
  • Disorganization
  • Difficulties with decisions
  • Poor time management
  • Lacking systems
  • Procrastination
  • Social Media
  • Inbox
  • Family stuff (you know what I mean…)
The list is endless and I am sure that you could easily add to it. I want to tell you that just because you get derailed occasionally, it doesn’t make you a bad person, a lousy business owner or destined to never get it together. This is all about working smarter! Previously, I spoke on how to get control of your time and energy in a physical sense by setting up systems, prioritizing, client management, clearing up the clutter and managing your time. This is internal, the thing that drives you from the inside to get what you want. Self Leadership starts on the inside, your “SELF”. Having a clear understanding of who you are and what you want is the starting point to successfully Self Lead. This is the stuff that ENERGIZES me the most! If this is something that you are interested in please send me an email or comment below, and tell me where you are as a Self Leader. I am interested in who you are and helping you get what YOU desire from your life and business. - See more at: http://tammyrowlandcoaching.com/self-leadership-what-does-it-really-mean/#sthash.kDRHBtUF.dpuf

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