Lead yourself first…sounds lonely, doesn’t it? I’m not necessarily referring to the book by Raymond M. Kethledge and Michael S. Erwin that talks about inspiring leadership through solitude. I’m simply saying, that just like you can’t love others until you love yourself, you can’t lead them either without leading yourself first. As a new business owner and certified business coach, I am always thinking about my value proposition and the why that led me down the path to pursuing my passion. How do you think my clients would feel about me coaching them, without having defined my own vision, value and purpose in life? The word hypocrite comes to mind.
In the past month, I have discovered the importance of mindfulness and learned to embrace meditation as a part of my daily routine. Just ten minutes in the morning has been enlightening. There is something about quiet time in your day that allows you to really listen to your mind and your body and renew your spirit. You have to listen to yourself to lead yourself. Listening creates clarity and I can’t think of anyone who has ever claimed to suffer from too much clarity. Understanding what drives and motivates us enables us to invest in the things that help us live our vision, value and purpose. Purpose can be your guide to inspired action. The key, then, is taking that action.
Before you endeavor to lead others, make sure you lead yourself first. One of the lessons I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from [slaying] your goals. Be confident in your intentions and once you’ve mastered that, by all means, work to inspire others to do the same.
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