Who would have thought that becoming a stronger leader could possibly enhance your life? Well it’s true. Leadership is a major life skill that requires time and attention, but in the end, it will certainly set you apart and make your life so much better. I think of leadership as one of those life skills like swimming. You may not like it, but it could one day save your life. Therefore, I believe it’s wise to grow yourself as a leader.

There is a huge debate on whether or not leaders are made or born. I believe both positions hold truth. There are some people who came out of the womb leading others. Whether you are that person or not doesn’t matter because you can develop as a leader, because it is a skill. As a matter of fact, even those “born” leaders have to work on their leadership skills and fine tune their craft.

Becoming a Stronger Leader Begins in Your Mind

The process of becoming a stronger leader starts inside the most dangerous place you’ll ever encounter – your own mind. This is one of the reasons why tearing down limiting beliefs is so vitally important. You see, in order to be that leader that others will follow, you must have a strong belief in yourself. That belief starts in your own mind.

How can you become a strong leader who inspires others, drives people toward excellence, holds people accountable, and instills a sense of trust, when you don’t believe in yourself. The truth is you really can’t. Would you follow you? If so, why? If not, why?

Becoming a Stronger Leader Starts with the Little Known Art of Leading Yourself.

There is a lot of emphasis and glory associated with leading others. To be honest, a lot of it is a bunch of misguided hype, founded on charisma and fueled by pride and EGO. The ability to lead oneself is where the rubber really meets the road. Why, because most of the time it’s the hardest thing to actually do. I’m not suggesting that we must be perfect, but we should be willing to go through fire that’s necessary to forge our character into something worth following. At a minimum, we should be at least willing to give those that we inspire something real to aspire to.

Here are a few suggestions to get us started on the journey towards leading ourselves first:

1. Practice Some Self Control: Every great leader in history had to become a master of self-discipline and willpower in order to stay focused on the big picture. If you don’t have a goal and the inner drive to achieve it, how can you expect others to be inspired and follow you.

Once again, the goal here is not perfection. It’s being on the path and having some admirable level of discipline.

Try these tips to get you started in the right direction:

Endeavor to follow through in everything you do. As challenging as it may be, you need to be disciplined enough to be where you need to be, when you need to be there. By being strong in your resolve and resisting the temptation to give up, you are setting an example for others to aspire to.

Choose your emotional response to a situation carefully. Sometimes you’ll need to practice the art of silencing your inner thoughts when they’re not appropriate in order to set a positive example.

2. Clarify Your Goals. Do this for yourself first. In other words, make sure you are crystal clear on your goals as possible, so you begin to communicate your vision. If the people you’re leading don’t completely understand the deeper meaning of your vision, they won’t share your vision or work ethic. Every step of the way, communicate with your team to make sure they’re on the same wavelength and know what you expect of them.

Get your team involved in the planning process and the implementation of your ideas. This gives everyone a greater sense of ownership toward the end result.

3.  Know Yourself and Your Purpose. Self awareness goes a long way in being the leader that others follow. There is nothing worse than trying to follow someone who has a vague sense of who they are and are full of insecurities. Take the time to dive deep into personal development and work on yourself. Get to know who you really are and what sets your soul on fire. More than likely that thing that sets your soul on fire is really a strong clue to what your true purpose is. Leaders that know themselves and their true purpose exude confidence. Confidence is a magnet that will draw people to you. Don’t take the easy way out. Put in the mindset work and emerge as the leader you were created to be.

4. Keep Getting Better. Everyday is a new opportunity for you to work on yourself and your leadership capacity. To become a stronger leader you need always be getting better yourself. You can choose to work on your mindset, your health and wellness, your communication skills, your knowledge, the list goes on. Most importantly, leaders who lead themselves the best make micro improvements all of the time. Even if you fall off the wagon, get back up. Dust yourself off and get with it. Before long, you won’t even recognize yourself because you are constantly moving forward and leaving the past behind.

5. Pay Special Attention to Your Health and Wellness. As a leader, you are it. Building a better mind and a stronger body is a non negotiable if you plan on shouldering the responsibility that comes with leading others. Be sure to lead yourself into better mental and physical health.

6. Invest in Yourself. For good reason this was the hardest one for me to wrap my head around. As a wife and mother, it was very easy for me to invest in those around me. As a matter of fact, I had developed into a knee jerk reaction. But investing in myself, never registered on my radar. Of course, I would purchase a new outfit or indulge in the occasional mani-pedi every so often. But invest in my knowledge and skills, that ended pretty much with my college and professional degrees. As a leader in our fast paced culture, I had to step up my game and invest in courses, live events and tools that helped to continue to grow and evolve as a leader. I urge you to do the same. You are well worth the investment.

Regardless of where your leadership role takes you, believe that you can become a stronger leader. Remember that in order to lead others, you must first be disciplined yourself. After all, your actions will speak louder than anything you can ever say.

In order to gain the respect of others, endeavor to lead by example in every area of your life. Will you be perfect? No, that was never the goal. The goal is to readily submit to the process and let the outcome speak for itself.

When you follow these simple guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a true leader! One worthy of following.

Be well + prosper,   

Elaine