Do not let the title of this article mislead you. The longest distance between two points is a shortcut. Beware of shortcuts, especially if you are aspiring to be a leader. A leader that desires other people to follow you.
There are many different definitions of what leadership is and who a leader is. The question has always been the following.
Are all born leaders and should all lead? When you get a proper definition of leadership these questions will answer themselves.
According to John Maxwell, “Leadership is influence nothing more nothing less.” The first person you must lead is you. If you do not lead yourself, nobody is going to follow you. We know that one of the greatest traits of excellent leaders is that they do not ask others to do what they are not willing to do.
These leaders know how to wear the shoes of those they are leading.
Somebody said the other day that the influence in leadership stands for:
Integrity
Nurturing
Faith
Listening
Understanding
Encouragement
Negotiate
Consistency
Energy
The person went ahead to explain how all these qualities embodied in influence can help anybody aspiring to be a great leader succeed in leading others. I am not going to go down that path, because without you leading yourself well leading others will be difficult and almost impossible.
Integrity: Are you faithful to yourself? Do you walk the talk? Alternatively, you lie to yourself and break promises you make to yourself? Who will believe you if you do not believe in yourself? Did you promise at the beginning of the week that this Saturday was the day you will start exercising? What happened?
Nurturing: How are you nurturing yourself? Do you take time off you rest, heal and recharge, or you are on the go all the time? Do you put junk into your body? How do you expect to be healthy and strong when you eat junk all the time? Be a leader by leading yourself to eat healthily. Without good health how will you lead?
Faith: Do you have faith in your God-given abilities? If you do not believe in yourself who will believe in you and your ideas? For other people to follow you, you must believe in the idea enough.
Listening: Do you listen to what you tell yourself in private? All the negativity that you keep repeating to yourself is holding you back. Why do you keep telling yourself that you are not good? Who will follow you if you are listening and following negative voices?
Understanding: Are you comfortable with who you are? Do you know who you are? Have you taken the time to understand your strengths and weaknesses? No wonder you are forcing yourself to do things that you are not cut out for. Nobody follows a leader who forces them to perform tasks they are not gifted to do. The result is always stress, inefficiency, and less productivity.
Encouragement: Do you know how to build yourself up or all you do is tear yourself down? In the name of humility you never affirm the fact that you are good or have what it takes to excel. If you keep shooting yourself in the foot and rejecting all the wonderful ideas that are given to you daily, you will remain stuck and nobody will follow you. Before you can encourage other people effectively you must start by encouraging yourself. For nobody will follow any leader that constantly pulls them down.
Negotiate: Is it always your way or the highway? Have learned how to negotiate with yourself or your emotions are running the show? No wonder you are going now where? When I am running and feel like giving up, I negotiate with myself, by telling that part of me that wants to give up and go home, that it will have a break after a finish one more mile. When I am done with the first mile, I negotiate for the next and the next. Before long all of me have completed a 26 mile run.
The shortcut to leadership is having influence and this starts with you.
Dr. Eric Tangumonkem was born and raised in a Caldera on the Cameroon Volcanic Line in Cameroon. In addition to being a geoscientist with extensive experience in the oil and gas industry, he is a teacher and an entrepreneur. Currently, he teaches at Missional University, Embry Riddle, and West Hills College. He is also the President of IEM Approach a premier personal growth and leadership development company based on the infinite wisdom revealed over the ages. On a mission to inspire, equip and motivate people from all work of life to find their God-given purpose, pursue and possess it. If you are interested in his other works they can be accessed here: https://lnkd.in/etYM9v8 #leadership #management #health #goals #goals #inspiration #productivity #fitness#wellness #iemapproach #drtangumonkem
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