What is self-leadership?

They say that a good leader is able to strengthen the skills of each team member. However, sometimes we leave out an element that is equal to or more important than this one: self-leadership.

People who are self-managed usually make their own decisions to achieve their goals and objectives. In today’s world, this skill is typical of entrepreneurs, mentors and senior managers, because they’re usually able to have an outlook in light of several scenarios, correct decision-making and problem-solving.

People with self-leadership have three essential characteristics:

  1. Self-awareness, which is the ability to understand values, desires, perspectives, and weaknesses, as well as a healthy level of emotional intelligence.
  2. Self-confidence, which comes from the knowledge and awareness of strengths and opportunities for improvement.
  3. Self-efficacy, which means the certainty with which you can handle the challenges ahead.

Leaders are constantly growing and learning. Having a clear understanding of who you are and what you want is the starting point to lead with success.

What is achieved with self-leadership?

Within organisations, self-leadership should be a skill to be reinforced within entrepreneurs and managers, because they may receive little-to-no supervision and the development of their critical sense could be key.

Self-leadership helps individuals be proactive, disciplined and independent decision-makers. People with a strong sense of this quality tend to feel that they have no self-control; oftentimes they lack focus and feel easily overwhelmed.

By offering a long-term perspective of their life — both personal and professional — self-leadership will provide a holistic and broad mentality. Are you already considering incorporating it into your daily routine?