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
❗After fulfilling the requirements of this post, please check out the next post here!
🔉This post is brought to you by the Leadership Development Program, find information on it here tinyurl.com/AcademyLDP
@Hope
From this exercise I learned about which qualities I should build in myself and which qualities I should stop building in myself. This was very helpful. Now I will keep reflecting on myself.
@ItsMaisy
@Hope The exercise helped me realize the importance of self-awareness in leadership. By comparing my qualities to those who inspired or discouraged me, I identified my strengths and areas for improvement. It highlighted the need for persistence, regular reflection, and holding myself accountable to lead effectively. Self-awareness and consistent growth are key before I can lead others.
@Hope
@Hope
✒️ What did you learn about yourself through the given exercise?
I discovered my strengths in empathy and reliability, but also saw areas to improve, like patience. I’d rate myself 7/10, acknowledging both my progress and room for growth.
@Abdul010
From what I see you have a great set of strengths, but I did notice that you also did not mention the weaknesses. Those are also important to display because no one is ever perfect❤️.
What did you learn about yourself through the given exercise?
I learned that I am a giving person, honest but holds a sense of professionalism, compassionate with a big heart/empathy, actively listen to those around me, creates a safe space for others' to feel heard/seen and be mindful of my boundaries at all times.
Now my weaknesses are because of having a big heart/empathy I have a tendency to sometimes only see the goos and be blinded by possible manipulation. I also have a tendency to burnout easily by always making myself available to everyone, and had to learn the differences of passive boundaries v.s firm boundaries.
@InsightfulPhoenix I realize I also have the same qualities as you. These feel like issues I have definitely dealt with through my personal and school life.
@sunnycthulhu, I can understand why you say that!
@Hope
✒️ What did you learn about yourself through the given exercise?
I have learnt that it's important to minimize the pressure put others, it's important to make sure you have the correct data for your team.
✒️ Respond to one of your peers in this thread
I will respond when my peer arrives. :)
@Hope
What did you learn about yourself through the given exercise?
self awareness- being aware of my approach and leadership skill.
@Helping2findaway
Great things to learn :)
@Hope
✒️ What did you learn about yourself through the given exercise?
The main thing that stood out to me what the necessity of leading myself before others
Hi @lovelyBlossom5344 !
Absolutely! Recognizing the importance of self-leadership is key to becoming an effective leader. It's all about setting an example and building a strong foundation within yourself.
Hi,
✒️ What did you learn about yourself through the given exercise?
- Good Qualities: Empathic, Self - Aware, Light Hearted, Knowledgeable
- Bad Qualities: Anxious, Not Commanding, Not Assertive,
I think I am not near leadership quality yet so I would be 5 or 6 out of 10. I feel like if the situation required it, I could put my foot down and lead but I don't have enough experience yet.
@SunnyCthulhu I love your honesty and self-reflection! It’s clear you’ve identified both your strengths and areas for growth which is such an important step. Keep working on it and you’re already on the right path!
@Dash0 Hi! I'm proud of your discovery! Keep going mate ! 😊
@jaboo Love your journey and self discovery process! You got this!!
@Dash0 Beautiful insight! Recognizing your strengths like empathy and dedication is a powerful step toward becoming the leader you aspire to be. Keep shining!
@Dash0
agreed : )