This article was inspired by Craig Groeschel’s podcast episode ‘Learning to Lead Yourself, Part 1’
“Great leadership starts with self-leadership” – Craig Groeschel, Pastor of Life.Church in USA, and host of the Craig Groeschel Leadership podcast, kicks off the podcast episode with this unforgettable phrase.
As we digested the podcast, we reflected on how true this was. How you lead others is clearly and without a doubt based on how you lead yourself.
In this podcast episode, Craig asked 2 major questions. Let’s dive into them both.
What’s your Leadership Identity?
Take a break from this article and think about how you see yourself. What sort of a leader are you? Are you a sort-of” leader, or a wannabe leader?
Or are you a leader? Period.
Many leaders place limits on their leadership because in their minds, their span of control is limited. While what they manage is never all-encompassing (unless they belong to the C-Suite, in which case this news site isn’t for them), a leadership mindset is about who they are, instead of what they do.
Isn’t this just so true? Haven’t we all come across someone who is able to command others’ attention and get them to follow – even without the title? That’s leadership in effect. The titles will follow.
What are your Leadership Initiatives?
You can tell if someone is a leader by their behaviours and practices.
A leader recognises that there is still room to grow, and there is still much to learn from the people around them. The could learn from online resources, training courses, or their peers and managers. Enlightened leaders and middle managers also take the bold step of engaging reverse mentors who are much younger than them.
A leader has the natural ability to empower others. People who are not yet comfortable with leadership are afraid to cede control of projects. They feel the need to know or be involved in everything, and they may end up doing everything themselves.
Developing your Leadership Traits
There is no holy grail for leadership. My guess is that even some of the most celebrated business leaders of our time may have felt they could have done some things differently.
Have you thought about your own leadership traits as you embrace and experience leadership? Here are four to consider:
1. Taking feedback
How do you take feedback? With an open mind, or with some derision? Does feedback irk you, or do you see it as an opportunity to understand the other person’s point of view?
2. Empowering and celebrating others
Is it all about you, or is it about the team? What’s more important – that you look good to your manager and the people around you, or that your employees are hailed as heroes?
3. Being in control of your own environment
What does your calendar look like? Packed like a can of sardines (with absolutely no room to move), or with lots of breathing space for thinking, learning, and productive discussions with colleagues and peers? Do you cave in to distractions, or are you able to find your flow state?
4. Leading with questions
Do you lead with questions, or are you quick with answers, instructions and orders? How do you move your employees forward – by getting them to explore their concerns and finding the right solutions?
The leadership journey is – dare we say – never-ending. It’s about asking the right questions to grow, develop and become a better leader.