Leaders Lead Themselves First

The first step to becoming an effective leader is learning how to lead yourself. If you want people to trust your judgment, you need to be comfortable making quick decisions, you need to know how to regulate your emotions, and you need to understand what your values are and how they align with organizational goals. By focusing on your own development and building confidence through competence, you are better prepared to take on a leadership role where you will be guiding and developing others. The key to effectively leading a team is learning how to lead yourself first.

The most difficult person to govern can often be yourself because it requires self-awareness, self-discipline, and self-motivation. This transformation does not happen overnight, but the continuous commitment to growth and self-mastery is what sets apart a leader from someone who is simply in charge. Having authority does not inherently make you a leader. Your influence must be earned.

This happens by building rapport and trust within your team. They need to know that they can come to you whether they are struggling or thriving. They need to count on you for guidance. As a leader, you have a responsibility to support your people, which means you have a responsibility to develop yourself. You are the example that your team will follow, so think carefully about what you are modeling. Teach your team to become lifelong learners, and help them understand that while growth can sometimes be uncomfortable, the transformation is worth the effort. This will not only help them lead themselves but also position them for greater success in their endeavors.

Before aiming to lead others, empower yourself by mastering self-leadership, and even once you are in a position to lead others, never stop leading yourself as well. Guide yourself in thought, in action, and in aspiration. I challenge you to take some time to reflect on the kind of leader and the kind of person that you aim to be. At the end of your life, who do you want to be known as? With your ideal legacy in mind, what would you need to start doing today in order to become that version of yourself? The impact you will one day leave behind is determined by how you conduct yourself in the present. So lead yourself in a way that you can look back on and be proud of.

-Meghan Slaughter