No, thank you...

When we think of the word “LEADER” it generally evokes an association to a person who runs a country, company or a manager – essentially a position!

It is interesting that in sign language, leadership is stated by taking one hand which starts at the heart and dropping it to take hold of the other hand.

"Management", on the other hand, begins with three fingers of the right hand touching the shoulder.  You then bring the right hand down and the left hand up as if taking hold of a set of reins and controlling a horse.

What a vast difference!

We manage things.  We lead people (including ourselves!)

Even for those of us who understand that leadership is about relationships rather than a title, we forget to bring leadership to domains outside of work (i.e. our home, community and most importantly our minds, body and spirit).

For me personally, measuring success at work was always easier then measuring success at home and as an individual.

Typically, at the end of a calendar year at work we review our results, measure progress, and reflect.

Shouldn’t we be doing this for our home and self?

A question you could ask yourself as a review of your own leadership is:  Do I feel connected to the people who matter most to me?  What steps can I take to improve this, and how will I measure success in this realm?

Here’s a definition of leadership I feel aptly describes the possibilities for how we can apply it to our personal lives:

“Leadership is about being a whole lot bigger on the inside than on the outside”

“Inside” is where we harness our core values, dignity, and compassion.  Therefore, your actions in your personal leadership shape your words and determine how you value yourself and others.

Have you ever heard someone say they left a job because the company’s values did not line up with their own values?

Shouldn’t this “lining up” also apply to your behaviors, your words, and your thoughts?

On many occasions I have handled obstacles at work by keeping my emotions in check thinking to myself “No thank you, I can’t afford to panic”.

It isn’t as easy to do this in our personal lives!

The next time something happens in your personal life tests your emotions ask yourself the following:

Does what happened keep you from acting with justice, generosity, self control, sanity, prudence, honesty, humility, and straightforwardness?

We can all be better LEADERS by practicing this level of control.

Have a great weekend,

Would you have great empire? Rule over yourself.  Publius Syrus