“Leadership” can be a complex topic. When you think of yourself as a leader, how do you define that? Are you leading an awesome team? Are you leading an entire organization or company? You probably have a good handle on the internal structure and dynamics of the group you are leading, right? But do you have that same good handle on the internal structure and dynamics of yourself? This is a question all leaders should be asking themselves, and it’s a question we address in this episode of The Bill Perry Show. Recent guest, Dr. Michael Hudson, is a full-time speaker, coach, and consultant. He knows the value of leading yourself before attempting to successfully lead others. Being in touch with who you really are, getting beyond your internal struggles, dealing with stress management in your own life, and developing a true appreciation for your personal strengths can help you become the best version of yourself and put you on the proper path to your personal leadership development.
We are all gifted with a journey in this life, and we need to learn to navigate that journey. The route that we take to get through struggles may be difficult, but we learn from those experiences. And then we have a clear vision of our knowledge to pass on to others. Michael explains this as, “Our journeys teach us things that only we get the privilege of learning in the way we learned them. And this is the important part. There are others on the planet who will be brought across our path, who can only learn this from us. So our job is to figure out what they need. And when you look at great leaders, that's what they do to connect with the person they're leading...by understanding where that person is.” So, it is first that we learn about ourselves. That is the key. We learn how to deal with our own issues. And then we can work with others in our organization to try to build a healthy team.
When we master leading ourselves, we can lead others. That is the progression as we look into the three main components of leadership. Those three are leading ourselves, our teams, and then, thirdly, our initiatives or organizations. So, as we break this down, we see that the key is leading yourself before others so that you can teach them how to be effective in leading so they, too, can lead themselves first. Michael says, “If you really want to lead effectively, figure out what your lessons are. Frame your lessons in a replicable framework that you can teach to others. And that's what I see successful leaders of organizations do all the time.” When we look at leadership in this light, we can see how it can create a better form of organizational health. It progresses from yourself such that you can then reach out to others. Michael’s mantra of “Ask, listen, learn, and serve” teaches us to move on to good employee engagement by truly being curious about their experiences and humbly learning as we all work together for a shared vision of being authentic with each other and bringing out the best of who we truly are.
To hear more about being authentic with yourself to be a great leader, be sure to listen to my conversation with Michael on this episode of The Bill Perry Show!
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