You Can Lead from Anywhere!

I think one of the greatest misconceptions when people think of leadership is the thought, that if I am not at the top I can’t lead.  My friend, John Maxwell, always says that leadership is not a position or a title but it’s influence.  I always remind myself that influence is earned not an entitlement!  As you grow and develop you actually earn the right to lead, no matter where you are in the organizational hiearchy.

One of the greatest ways to increase your influence is simply to lead yourself well.  I believe that the best management is always self-management.  Self management is about making good decisions every day.  I know that nothing makes a better impression on people than the ability to manage yourself.

3 Areas You Have to Manage

Manage your Emotions

In order to bridge the gap between what you know and what you do, you have to increase your emotional intelligence.  Your emotions are an indicator of your core needs.  Learning to discern and dissect why you feel and act the way you do is a key indicator of high performance.

Ask yourself, “what do I feel the way I do?”

Manage your Time

Time is the most valuable asset you have.  I’ve seen that people that don’t value their time, really do not value themselves.  If you can begin to think of what you do and buy in terms of time not just money, your perspective really begins to change.

Ask yourself, “what is worth spending my life on?”

Manage your Energy

The older I get the more I realize that I need to ration my energy.  The #1 killer of effectiveness is busyness!  When you have activities without direction you end up doing things that don’t seem to matter.

Ask yourself, “What’s the main event for today?

Everyday you are creating your personal leadership culture.  This starts with managing yourself well.  The culture you are creating…is producing the results you enjoy!