Paul CastelliLead where you’re gifted, serve where you’re needed.

Self-Leadership

It is the hardest part of leadership for me to get right. For me it is easy to lead others, to tell them what to do, to accomplish a task, to achieve something bold. But when it comes to leading myself…well that seems a little more difficult. The reason it is so hard to lead myself is because I am such a tough follower. And to be a good self-leader you must first be a good follower.

In order to lead myself, I must be following some example or guide for personal growth, discipline and hard work. For me, my example is Jesus. So I ask myself before I face the day, “to be a good leader today where do I first need to follow.” I spend some time reading the Bible and in prayer and seeking God. I am not always aware of where I am not being a good self-leader and I need God’s objective eyes to see those areas. This time helps me get a better handle on following and setting me up for self-leadership success.

Another way to think about self-leadership is the term self control. If I am leading my self then I am in control of what I am doing and not doing at all times. At the end of the day the only one responsible for me and how I lived is me.

For all of us who are called, gifted or reluctantly find ourselves leading, make sure you are being a faithful self-leader by being a good follower.

Proverbs 25:28
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.