Leadership is Like Beauty

So much of life is lived by instinct. Theories and definitions are helpful, but instincts can sometimes take us more quickly to the truth. I’m sure you’ve come across powerful definitions of leadership and you know the qualities of a good leader. There is no doubt such knowledge is helpful. But as Warren Bennis once said, “Leadership is like beauty—it’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it.”

Not so long ago, a young man contacted me. He was looking to achieve a life goal of finding a position that would actively support his ongoing growth. He was willing to attend formal classes, but wanted on-the-job training in a profession that interested him.

A person he knew had worked with the UpCloseTeam on their transformational leadership and personal growth. Based on their recommendation, he reached out to me.

This young man had not quite finished high school, but he knew what he wanted and he recognized that he needed help reaching his goal. Right there are the qualities of a strong leader and this young man had those qualities even though he had not yet started his career. You know leadership when you see it and I certainly did.

Invest in Yourself

Because he was a young student and I recognized his strong self-leadership, I gave him the first session for free. That’s when he showed another quality of a strong leader—he invested in himself.

After thinking it over, he decided to continue working with me because he believed his goals were worth the cost of getting the help he needed. We focused on making his goal more specific and practising his interview skills. Personal growth resulted.

A friend of his had applied for the same position a year previous and had not gotten the job. At first the young man was anxious that he too would not reach his goal, but he learned to believe in himself, which is what happens with personal growth.

The interview went well and he was offered the position he wanted. He is currently pursuing his dream career fresh out of high school.

The Leader Within

Many people see leadership as leading others, but I firmly believe leadership starts within. We have to be able to lead ourselves before we can lead anyone else. Leadership is an inside job. It’s about creating a better and stronger you.

Leadership is about self-direction, helping others, embracing change, fostering ongoing growth, and building confidence. The young man who came to us demonstrates all of this. He is off to a strong start.

Once a person develops the qualities of an effective leader, they can apply their skills to any task, but being a great leader doesn’t just happen. It takes real focus and effort.

5 Tips for Self-Leadership

Here are five powerful tips for enhancing your self-leadership:

• Discover what you really want and focus on that. The young man knew what type of position he wanted and was dedicated to pursuing his goal. He didn’t just think about it, he put his goal into action.
• Examine your strengths and your weaknesses. It’s not enough to want something, we need to build the skills needed to obtain the goal. The young man recognized he needed coaching, so he looked for recommendations from people he knows and he reached out to me.
• Welcome help when you need it. The young man knew what he wanted, but he was anxious about whether he could get it. He needed practice interviews and the confidence that resulted, but he would not have gotten those things if he didn’t reach out for help.
• Apply what you learn. The young man built his interview skills and he applied them to reach a big goal. This is how we lead from within, each step along the journey to our goals.
• Keep growing. It’s not enough to land the position you want. To keep the position and continue to grow into our fullest self, we need to commit to a lifetime of self-leadership, repeating all of the tips listed above over and over again. We do this because it works.

As motivational speaker Katherine Miracle says, “Do not wait on a leader. Look in the mirror, it’s you.”

Call to Action

Take time this week to try the 5 tips mentioned in this blog. We have several personal growth solutions on our website that can help. 

Your Friends,
The UpCloseTeam