The hardest person you’ll ever lead? Yourself.
For a long time, I didn’t hold myself accountable to my own growth. I kept myself busy in the doing—taking on one more project, raising my hand for something else, imparting “wisdom” to others that I didn’t actually implement myself.
I treated my personal development as a “nice to do if there’s time” rather than the foundation of everything else.
I felt like everything was more important than me. But in reality, all I did was cheat others out of the best version of me—and model an unhealthy, unsustainable rhythm of leadership. One that was designed to show well but not build to be well.
Then I realized: It’s all about trade-offs.
“We can try to do it all. But when we do, we make a millimeter of progress in a million directions.” – Greg McKeown, Essentialism
I wasn’t making meaningful progress because I wasn’t making intentional choices. Real leadership begins when we choose to invest in ourselves.
Self-Leadership in Action
Here are three ways to practice leading yourself daily:
Own Your Commitments – If you set a goal for yourself, treat it with the same importance as a commitment to someone else. Keep promises to yourself.
Manage Your Energy, Not Just Your Time – Self-leadership isn’t about doing more—it’s about being intentional with where you invest your energy. Are you making space for rest, learning, and growth?
Do the Hard Things First – Great leaders don’t wait for motivation; they rely on discipline. Identify one difficult but meaningful task and tackle it first.
Say No to the Non-Essential – Not every opportunity is the right one. Growth requires trade-offs—saying no to what doesn’t align with your priorities so you can say yes to what truly matters.
Call-to-Action: Journal Your Leadership Focus
Take five minutes today to reflect:
- What’s one way you can lead yourself better this week?
Write it down. Then, commit to taking one step toward it.
Here’s to leading ourselves with the same intention we bring to others.