“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams.
Albert Einstein said, “Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means.” This is the heart of the leadership crisis — a lack of leaders who know how to unlock their power to lead others effectively by learning how to lead themselves first.
What Is Personal Leadership?
“Personal leadership is the process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with them.” — Stephen Covey.
Personal leadership is not about a title. It’s about taking intentional, daily ownership of who you are becoming. It’s how you show up — when no one’s watching. It’s what you choose — when you have every excuse not to.
To lead yourself is to master your thoughts, discipline your behavior, align with your values, and grow consistently, so that when others follow, they follow someone authentic. People are not looking for a perfect leader but an authentic one, and authenticity is the new influence.
People are hungry for grounded, guided, and growing leaders. Grounded leaders are stable and resilient, growing through continuous self-awareness, and are committed to learning continuously while guiding others with a clear vision and authentic communication.
Personal Leadership: The Flight Plan for Impact
“When you lead yourself first, you build the habits, mindset, and character that others can trust. People don’t follow titles. They follow examples. They follow action. They follow the vision.” — Elizabeth McCormick.
In aviation, you don’t just take off and hope for the best. You check your instruments. You run a pre-flight checklist. You align with your coordinates. Why? Because altitude without alignment is dangerous.
External success begins with internal order. If your life is out of sync, your leadership will soon crash. That’s why personal leadership isn’t optional. Personal Leadership is the difference between drifting through life and directing your life with purpose. [To be continued next week].
In a world overwhelmed by titles but starved of true leadership, Leader, Lead Yourself: Unlocking Your Power with Personal Leadership by Dr. Michael Koku is a must-have and a must-read!
Order your copy today. Now available on Amazon in Digital and Hardcover formats.
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