Self-Leadership

For me, leadership is the idea of aiding a group of people to achieve a greater sense of being; be that a specific goal or growth, more generally within a community. But if that is leadership, then what is self-leadership?

I would say that self-leadership is a constant process of taking personal stock of your life and pushing out the boundaries of who you are, in the way that you think, act and feel.

Yes, many of us make decisions in our day-to-day lives, though, how often are we genuinely honest with ourselves? Are we too wrapped up in social media? Are too consumed with computer games when we should be revising? How often does this trail of thought actually prompt reflection and genuine change?

Firstly, honesty with yourself can present a range of emotions that you don’t know what to do with. Honesty provides a way to think about what small specific steps you need to take in your life. I am thinking about small conjunct movements, not great bounding leaps. No matter how hard we all try, if we take off at a blinding speed then we will burn out very quickly and instead of being willing to pick ourselves up, we will simply creep back into old habits …

As people, we have to be willing to fail in order to accept that we are not perfect and therefore continue our drive towards personal growth. As leaders of our own lives, we will never have all the answers but that shouldn’t stop us from collaboration and learning from others. Think about what you could do. If you want to grow in kindness, simply giving someone a hug, holding the door open or helping clean the dinner plates can really lighten someone else’s load.

Above all, be honest with yourself, even if it is hard. Be willing to ask for help, all of us need it. Be courageous and try the path of most resistance - who knows where it will take you.

Simeon Lord

Corinthian House Captain

St Birinus School