To become a leader for others, first become a leader for yourself.

I believe that the greatest truths of the universe are not somewhere outside, among the stars or planets. They are hidden deep within us , in the greatness of our heart, mind, and soul. Until we understand ourselves, we cannot understand what surrounds us. - Anita Morjane "Dying To Be Me"

In order to go to a better future, set worthy goals and successfully overcome obstacles, a person must first learn to manage his own life. Often, leadership leads a long way. And in order to remain motivated and full of energy, people should become leaders for themselves.
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Last week, I sat down at a virtual round table with:

• Bob and Greg Vanurek of @TripleCrownLead , co-authors of Triple Crown Leadership. Bob was a CEO or senior executive at many publicly traded companies, and also led university leadership training. Greg co-authored three books and now teaches at the Business School in Stockholm and at the Royal Technical Institute.
• John Baldoni , @JohnBaldoni , author of 10 books, including Leadership with a Goal . He is a world-recognized business coach, author and lecturer. In 2012, Leadership Gurus International put John on the 10th place in the list of world leadership gurus.

Based on our round-table discussions, I selected three key points that will help start the path to leadership with myself:

1. Mind versus heart

When to listen to the voice of reason, and when to follow your heart?

Bob and Greg Vanureki: “The famous writer and teacher Parker Palmer revealed the essence of the“ heart ”when he wrote,“ that it is the center of human existence, a place where will and intelligence, values ​​and feelings, intuition and worldview all merge into one. This is the source of human integrity. And the courage to lead someone for themselves comes from the heart. "

The heart embraces what inspires people, helps to overcome obstacles and makes us move to victory. Mind abilities - rationality and logic. He strives for order using managerial skills and tools.

The ability to use the abilities of mind and heart is necessary for a good leader. When a leader is faced with a difficult choice, especially regarding an ethical dilemma, he will ask himself whether this choice will be:

• Logical, “reasonable” with a certain risk / benefit ratio (reason).
• Match with his personal values ​​and the values ​​that he shares with his colleagues (heart).
• Something with which he can live, if the choice will be known to all (heart).
• Serve his partners, not his ego (heart).

Experience tells us that when the mind and the heart lead us in different directions, following the second will be a wiser decision. ”

2. Leadership with a view to

What does it mean to lead someone to the goal?

John Baldoni: “The goal is a bottomless well from which leaders can safely draw in order to unlock the potential of their organization. Successful organizations, above all, need leaders who know themselves; that is, they have an internal compass that leads them in the right direction. Many leaders never think about it. It is very important to spend some time to realize what you want to do, why it is necessary and how to carry out your plans.

The leader’s goal is a guiding star that leads people in the right direction. She helps to create:

• vision - where the organization is moving;
• mission - which it performs; and
• values - which unite the team.

Leaders use a common goal to unite people. ”

3. The power of dedication

How not to leave the life course?

Faisal Hawk: “Hard work cannot be replaced by anything. Almost all successful people work harder than most can imagine. As Business Insider reports: “Both athletes, like Michael Jordan, and company directors, like Howard Schultz, are all equally well known for getting up and working early to achieve their goal while the rest of the people are in bed.”

I call it selflessness or “SHADHONA”. In Sanskrit, "SHADHONA" means "disciplined movement towards the goal of your life." I was born near the birthplace of the Buddha. Sages and monks are still arguing about aspirations, dedication and duty. With my proximity to Eastern philosophy, I believe that we can learn to manage our own lives only when our dedication becomes a discipline.

Based on the teachings of the Buddha, I believe that dedication begins with:

• the right effort - without effort you will not pull out the fish from the pond;
• awareness - active observation and following the chosen path; and
• the right concentration is on positive thoughts and actions.

Although we cannot control everything only with the help of our willpower, we are able to reject to follow our life goal. And as a result, our dedication will make us better leaders. You can not lead someone for themselves, not being an example. "

As Stephen Covey eloquently put it: “Personal leadership is not a one-time action. This is a continuous process of working on ourselves, in which we must clearly see our goals and values, and make sure that our activities do not go against our worldview. ”

PS We recommend another article on the topic - How to stop distractions in the workplace: 6 effective ways.

Translated by Vyacheslav Davidenko, founder of MBA Consult