In a time of unprecedented challenge, leaders don’t just need to lead their companies. They also need to lead themselves. They need strategies for improving their effectiveness while sustaining a sense of professional well-being. Every leader has an internal source of strength and stability. Without care and consideration these renewable resources are seriously at risk.
They need to practice personal leadership.
Defining Personal Leadership
Personal leadership is the leadership of the self. In addition to the visible and interactive work of organizational leadership, personal leadership is the private, introspective part of leadership that takes place within. Personal leadership is an introspective process that requires focus and attention. Given priority, it can be transformational. In fact, Peter Drucker once called it “the only leadership that’s going to matter in the 21st century.”
Putting Personal Leadership into Practice
So how does a leader actually practice personal leadership? It looks like this:
- Take time to think. Leaders need to step out of the daily rush and think about what they’re doing and why. Doing so, they will find the clarity and focus they need to get back into the action in the most effective way.
- Look inside. Instead of being driven by the demanding urgencies, leaders can discover their inner resources – their strengths, their values, and their aspirations.
- Look for ways to align and integrate your life. We are who we are wherever we are. The closer leaders can tie their true selves to their leadership roles, the happier and healthier they will be – on all fronts.
The economic and business environment may be out of our control. Leaders’ ability to thrive within this environment, on the other hand, is very much in their own hands. Personal leadership gives leaders a way to fill themselves up with the motivation that will help them thrive again.
Joelle K. Jay, Ph. D., MCC, is an executive coach, speaker and author specializing in leadership development and executive education in Fortune 500 companies. She is the author of The Inner Edge: The 10 Practices of Personal Leadership. For a Free Executive Summary of The Inner Edge, go to www.JoelleKJay.com.
What a succinct, insightful article! Personal leadership can be very challenging and you made some great points especially about focus,clarity and looking closely at their personal values for alignment with their leadership roles. Being pro-active can also provide a tremendous advantage in being a successful leader.
Thank you, Rick! You point out an often-overlooked benefit to personal leadership: It’s good for business! Leaders who practice personal leadership are more engaged, more productive, and more profitable. It turns out that “soft skills” are essential for “hard results!”
Thanks for this article. Personal leadership is something I’ve been interested in for awhile now. Having sat through/read enough leadership books that were tactical, I was certain that if leaders had control of their own lives (be it emotions, self-awareness for example) they would make more effective leaders in their organizations. I’m also exploring how mindful practices contribute to personal leadership. Its a topic I’ve been writing about on my company blog. I really like the simplicity of the three points as they encompass so much. Thanks for posting!
Brian,
I love that you’ve been exploring this topic within your company. What type of a response are you getting from leaders and employees?
Amber,
The response has been very positive, especially from those who “get it.” The sales cycle, so to speak, has a much longer tail though. The journey is half the fun, right!