self-aware leader.What is up guys?Jason Rigby here.I want to get into what it's like to look at self-leadership and why that matters.And I really want to give kind of a, it's kind of a forceful quote.It says, stop trying to lead others.
The power of leading from within.As you begin to change yourself, then you're going to see transformation in those that you serve and you love. So true leadership isn't about commanding a room or holding a fancy title.It's about inspiring others.
And this is something that you don't see, I think, in a lot of leaders.Genuine connection, empathy, a deep understanding of themselves.And that's what leading from within is.
Whenever you look at somebody and you see them, and I could go through the history of the bosses that I've had and people that have been in my life. And I look at them and I think, what are the most effective leaders?
The ones that I've really looked at, what qualities come to mind?And it wasn't their ability to micromanage is, it wasn't their ability to put out fires so effectively.It wasn't their authority.
It was their ability to inspire, to listen, to genuinely care for their team.And for me, when I go through all the different leaders that I had throughout
my life it's very few that you see that inspired me most of them didn't listen they were interrupting and wanting to tell you what to do and then how many of them really showed that they cared they may have cared but most of the time you were kind of an irritant
Or there was a problem or you would come in and help and then they would, you know, just move along.The caring part, I think for me is the one that I see.That would be the easiest for all of us as leaders, especially self-aware leaders to work on.
And what's wild is when you think about a promotion, when you think about when you first started really understanding leadership and knowing that, Hey, I'm a boss now, here's three people I'm in charge of.Here's 30 people I'm in charge of.
The crazy part is those qualities, the inspiration, the listening, genuinely caring for others, they're not magically bestowed upon you.You don't get that when you get a promotion.They're cultivated through intentional self-leadership.
And before you can effectively lead others, you must first master the art of leading yourself.So what does that look like to lead yourself?Well, I kind of want to give you a reality check and some leadership challenges.
And we know leadership isn't always easy.In fact, it's messy.It's demanding.And all you feel like you're doing is putting out those fires.
But here are a few truths every leader must confront and to pretend or to be passive aggressive and think that these three things are not what's stopping you as a leader.
from being able to feel relaxed, not have the fighter fly, being able to lead proactively, not reactively.These three things.Number one, time scarcity.There's never enough time to do it all.You're like, Jason, 110%.I get that one.
I'm always feel like I'm always freaking working.This can lead to frantic activity.And the dreaded headless chicken syndrome.We see this all the time.You'll see a leader.
And they're just running around frantic, reacting to every fire that's out there.And I know there's a time scarcity.So if there is, why don't we take advantage of leadership?
Why don't we take advantage and understand that we're just beating our head up against the wall, trying to make more time and that we can't go faster.We can't do more.It's a fallacy.It doesn't work.
So there's systems that we put in place and I do a ton and I've done a ton of podcasts about time scarcity. And how to set systems up, how to have decentralized leadership, how to let others take charge.
All of those things, what it does is it helps you scale.So what you think takes eight hours a day or 12 hours a day could take two or three hours.And I'm not lying.I could walk you through that with your schedule.
You would be shocked at how much time, free time you could actually have to be able to coach others, to be able to look at what they're creating. and give, you know, constructive feedback.Time scarcity.And then number two is the human factor.
Leadership is about people and people are complex.They're messy.They're going to challenge you.They're going to surprise you.And sometimes human behavior will baffle you and make you go like, what the WTF, what's going on here?
But that's what makes people, people you've done it.I've done it.I've hurt people's feelings and I've made people feel absolutely amazing. I've had multiple different types of relationships personally and in the business world.
And I've, you know, had bosses who could not understand where I was coming from when I told them I had to, to bounce and I'm done.And you know, I want to go in this direction.It's the human factor.You have it.We all have it.We're put on this.
I believe this third density, this to learn, to evolve, to adapt, to see spiritually, what we can accomplish and what we can do.And that's done here on earth.And it's messy.It's super messy.
If you can expect that, then it should not surprise you when something crazy happens with an employee.All you look at that as like, perfect.I have an opportunity to coach right now.Let me clear my schedule for an hour and let's address this.
Or let's schedule it for tomorrow or the next day, however that looks depending on
You know, there's, there's ways that you can look at trauma or drama that is happening with your employees and see if you need to, do I need to have a quick conversation with them to put them back on track?What goes on?Human factor.
Number three, the power dynamic.Power is inherent in any leadership role.It's crucial to be aware of this and actively work to mitigate its potential negative effects.There is a power dynamic.
And you need to understand that it can't be, I'm not your boss.Let's just hang out and be friends.I see this all the time with kids.
It's like the dads and the moms want to be friends with their kids and they don't understand that there, there has to be a leadership role there. You can be loving and caring.I'm not talking about Umer leadership.
I'm not talking about something that is from the 1920s.See, we either think we have to be like best friends with our kids or we need to turn around and be Mussolini.It doesn't work that way.So the path to self-leadership.
How do we navigate these challenges and become the kind of leaders people truly want to follow?So here's a roadmap for cultivating self-leadership.Number one, I talk about this all the time.This is the Self-Aware Leader Podcast.Know thyself.
Know thyself.Honest self-reflection is crucial.Ask for feedback, even if it's uncomfortable.Identify qualities you dislike in other leaders and see if you exhibit the same behaviors.This is a great one.
I do this all the time, like, ooh, I didn't like that.That was kind of prickly.Well, how do I do that to others?You'll be shocked at how many times it's just a mirror.
The thing that bugs you the worst about another leader, especially if you're in middle management, this is really important.Those things that bug you the most are the things you're doing to your employees.Next, embrace daily reflection.
Take a few minutes each day to reflect on your actions and decisions.Ask yourself. Really important question, write this down.How did I show up as a leader today?Ask yourself.
I have it as a reminder on my phone in the evening time, and it goes off and it says, how did I show up as a leader today?I also have Bernard Ricard's planner book that he has, and this question's in there.How did I show up as a leader today?
Then I asked the second question.How could I have done better? You know, most of the time it's me being more loving, me being more kind, me being more patient, me listening more.When I say, how could I have done better?
I usually go to a human factor or I didn't, or it's a project.I didn't fully work on this project.I was distracted with this, this and this.I guarantee if you do this every day, this consistent practice will yield powerful insights.
And then next, master your reactions.When faced with a challenging situation, take a breath and reframe the issue.Ask yourself, self-aware question, you guys ready?How important is this really?Isn't that a great question?
How important is this really?And this one question will allow you to respond with clarity and composure rather than reacting with the chicken with the head cut off impulsively. And guys, self-leadership isn't about self-indulgence.
That's egotistical leader.We've seen that.We've seen those guys. It's about cultivating the inner resources to lead effectively.It's about empathy.It's about integrity.And mostly it's about a genuine commitment to serving others.
This is the kind of leadership that creates decades of impact.This is the kind of leadership that puts you in that stratosphere of what an example of a leader is.
This is the kind of leadership that's not concerned about titles or authority, but is concerned about empowering individuals. to become the best higher self versions of themselves.Lead from within guys.That's the key.