Leading Myself?!

I am doing a short presentation on leadership development this week, and one of the aspects of that presentation has to do with what the leadership literature calls Self-Leadership. At first glance that actually might seem like an oxymoron, because leadership would imply that others are following, so how can you lead yourself? What this really means though, is learning to invest in your own growth and development as a person and a leader, which will have significant ripple effects into the ways you are leading others

If you are someone who doesn't really think you are leading anyone, I would suggest that in some capacity we all are. For example, let's say you are a parent. You are naturally (and necessarily!) providing leadership for your children, whether you want to or not! Self-leadership in this arena involves asking and answering the question, "How can I grow and invest in myself to be a better person, which will help me be a better parent?"

Sometimes, especially if you are the parent of young children, the answer to that question might actually be, "Take a nap!" At first glance, this may seem like a selfish answer. But the reality is, when we are tired it impacts our mood, our reactions, and even our ability to make good decisions. So, by taking a nap (in a reasonable way, like when they are napping), you are actually investing in your own wellbeing, which in turn will help you be a better parent and leader to your children.

This same approach applies to all kinds of leadership situations (taking care of yourself not necessarily taking a nap, although, I like the sound of that!). When we take time to invest in ourselves, we are also making an investment in our ability to lead and invest in others. That investment isn't selfish, it's actually good self-leadership.

Here are some other examples of good Self-Leadership:

• Read a good book

• Take an online course

• Journal and reflect on the previous day, looking for things to celebrate and things to possibly change

• Invest in some personal therapy or coaching

• Get feedback from people you trust (both to celebrate and to grow)

• Engage in some type of physical movement or activity

• Grow your understanding of your personality style or your emotional intelligence

What other ideas come to your mind? How could you take time to invest in yourself in a way that allowed you to be a better leader with those people who are around you? If you were going to do one thing this week to lead yourself, what would it be and how could you schedule it into your calendar so it actually got done? Remember, self-leadership is about making an investment in ourselves, so we can better lead and give ourselves away for the sake of others. Here's to leading ourselves this week so we can create a ripple effect of leadership!

Be Well, Stephen Center was created to support individuals and teams so they can live from their Purposeful Center. We specialize in executive coaching and leadership development and we’d love to support you! Click on our Services page to book a free consultation.

What's Your Story?

Do you know how you can hear an idea from somewhere and the idea sticks in your brain but the source doesn't?! I was watching/listening to something during the past few days and they asked a question that really stuck out to me - "What is the story of your life you are writing?"

I'm actually a huge fan of stories because I love how they shape us. It's part of the reason I am always very curious about people's tattoos because almost all the time there is a great story connected to a person's tattoo! And that's how I tend to think about a person's life story, it's from the past. Their story is what has happened so far in their life which has helped to mold and shape them into the current person they are now.

So, when this question was posed in the future-tense related to story, I think that's why it stood out to me! If my story isn't complete but is still unfolding, it means I get to be an active participant in helping to shape it each day of the rest of my life. Regardless of what may have happened in my past, whether that be through the choices of others or the ways I chose to respond to life events, and regardless of what life may throw at me today or tomorrow, I get to be an active participant in shaping my story as it continues to unfold.

I guess another way to express this revelation I felt would be to say that most of the time I think about my story as being something that happens to me from a passive perspective, rather than me getting to be an active participant in it. And while it is true there are a lot of things that come into my life that I have no control over, I get to decide what I am going to do with them once they arrive. I get to choose how to respond. I get to decide how to act and react. I get to be the one who helps to form and make meaning from what life brings my way, and that feels very empowering!

If I were to ask you today, "What's your story," would your tendency to be like me and think about what's already happened? What if you could shift your vision of your story today to a more future-focused perspective - one in which you are empowered to help shape it? What kind of an impact would that have on your outlook today? What story are you writing today? Be Well, Stephen PS - That's a cool tattoo! Tell me about it. Center was created to support individuals and teams so they can live from their Purposeful Center. We specialize in executive coaching and leadership development and we’d love to support you! Click on our Services page to book a free consultation.

Shoshin - The Beginner's Mind

I was doing some reading and reflecting last week, and came across the concept of the Beginner's Mind in several different ways, so it made me do a little digging on the origin's of this concept.

The term itself is the Japanese word Shoshin, made up of the two characters for beginner and mind, rooted in the ancient practice of Zen Buddhism. It was popularized in the English-speaking world through the 1970 book, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki. One of the things he wrote to summarize Shoshin was, "in the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few."

I think part of the reason I was drawn to this idea is because I am getting ready to turn 55. That feels like a significant milestone, or at least a good reason to do some self-reflection! One of the conclusions I have come to in this reflection (so far!), is that I don't want to become "set in my ways" as I continue to mature. I want to be a life-long learner. Someone who lives from a place of curiosity and openness, rather than being closed and thinking I already have everything figured out.

I think maintaining a child-like beginner's mind is one of the ways to do that. It certainly doesn't discount all of the learning I have already received, or the experiences I have already encountered. It just means I continue to remind myself that there is still a lot of room to grow and learn and adapt as life continues to unfold.

How about you? Where are the places in your life it would be helpful to embrace the beginner's mind perspective? Are there situations or relationships that you think are set in stone and there is no room for growth? What would it mean to approach those with a mindset that looked for new angles or possibilities you haven't considered before?

Today is a good day for Shoshin - The Beginner's Mind! Be Well, Stephen

Center was created to support individuals and teams so they can live from their Purposeful Center. We specialize in executive coaching and leadership development and we’d love to support you! Click on our Services page to book a free consultation.