Course 2, Discussion 2: Lead by example
Great Leadership, unsurprisingly, starts with yourself!
Practice what you preach. Lead by example. I am sure all of you heard these phrases. But why are they so iconic?
Because the journey starts with the first step and you are the person who is taking the initiative to lead -- Start a journey! So, you are the one who needs to take the first step before expecting others to do it.
To start with leading yourself, close your eyes and visualize two people: someone who inspired and encouraged you to be like them, and someone who discouraged you to be not like them.
Then, write down the good qualities of the person who inspired you as well as the qualities of the second person. You do not have to be specific with the details. Just a bulleted list.
Now, compare the list to yourself. Note the good qualities you have, the bad qualities you have, and give yourself a rating on a scale of 1-10. What we just did is identified your strengths and weaknesses and what you need in order to lead yourself. This allows you to create self-awareness.
Self-awareness is key to leading yourself in the right direction. But, leading yourself is not easy. Just being self-aware isn't enough. It's igniting the spark but not enough to catch the fire. To catch the fire, you need to be persistent with your practice, which is regular reflection. Be consistent with monitoring your efforts and holding yourself accountable.
You can't effectively lead others until you know how to lead yourself. That happens through Self-Observant Leadership: when you deeply understand your identity, compare it to your reputation (how others experience you) and then make meaning of the observations, and choose to adapt.
Exercise:
✒️ What did you learn about yourself through the given exercise?
✒️ Respond to one of your peers in this thread
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@Hope
✒️ What did you learn about yourself through the given exercise?
it helped me learn more about myself and my values which would help me understand myself first before leading anyone else
@HealingAlien4444
I think the conclusion you are drawing comes from deep introspection and understanding, and I agree with it, I hope you become a good leader.
@Hope ✒️ What did you learn about yourself through the given exercise?
I learned that I need to take the first steps before waiting for someone else to do it first. I would just be a follower at that point. I also learned that I need to be persistent with my practice because I can't learn my qualities and not put work into using them and expect things to work out.
@Hope
@Hope
✒️What did you learn about yourself through the given exercise?
I learnt that leadership isn't just doing the right thing, it's doing the right thing with the right people, it's like the functioning of an assembly chain where just having one fast part won't improve the whole thing but slightly taking care of each component, can increase the productivity by many folds.
I also learnt that it doesn't matter how good I can do things solo,if I am a part of the team than it should function like a team and everyone should fulfill their duties.
@sereneMango2512
You have such an amazing perspective 🫶
@sereneMango2512 That is such a great analogy!
@Hope
✒️ What did you learn about yourself through the given exercise?
@Lovelywonder I agree, self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership and makes it much easier to lead others :)
@Hope Thanks for sharing <3
What did you learn about yourself through the given exercise? I learned that being aware of my strengths and areas for improvement is essential for becoming a better leader. Self-reflection helps me continue learning and growing.
@talktome610
i thought this was important too!
@Hope
I learned that as a leader it is important to understand your team, as in what works well and what could use some work
@lyricalStrawberry4547
Agree. Understanding is crucial in communication.
@Hope
I learned about the qualities I dislike in a person and also found some of them in me. That's what I can work with to improve myself.
@Hope
Through this exercise, I learned that my leadership style is centered on empathy, connection, and supporting others. I realized that I naturally focus on building trust and creating a positive environment where people feel comfortable and valued. The exercise also reminded me that effective leadership is not just about guiding others but also about listening, learning, and continuously improving. It encouraged me to recognize my strengths while identifying areas where I can continue to grow as a leader.
@Brightlynx77
It sounds like we have similar leadership styles! Do you find that you really value leaders who are highly empathetic like yourself? I love how you mention that your natural way of leading feels like a strength.
🌟 Joy 🌟
@starryJoy2222
Absolutely! I really value leaders who lead with empathy because it makes people feel heard and understood. I think empathy and clear communication can make a huge difference in how a team feels and works together. And yes, I’ve learned to see my natural leadership style as a strength rather than something I need to change.
@Hope
I have learnt that I'm quite critical of myself and I need to acknowledge my strengths as much as I do my weaknesses. I've discovered that I really enjoy sharing knowledge and leading in both explicit and implicit ways. For example explicit ways e.g. cascading training, creating open working documents and planning out goals. Implicit ways include naturally cheerleading others, leading with warm interactions and curiosity.
🌟 Joy 🌟
