From the course: Mastering Self-Leadership
What is self-leadership?
- Nelson Mandela was the ultimate self leader. Before he was South Africa's first black president, Mandela was an activist who spent many years alone in prison. He could've given into despair and learned helplessness. Instead his mindset, even in the darkest times, was rooted in optimism, and he took accountability for his behavior and treated his captors with respect, even when that same dignity wasn't given to him. You might be thinking, "I like this idea of self-leadership, "but I'm not Nelson Mandela." Okay, true. You are not facing the same exact issues as someone who fought apartheid, but everyone is fighting important battles, and self-leadership is a skill available to everybody who wants to resolve conflict and emerge victoriously. So what's self-leadership? It's the ability to guide yourself and accept responsibility for your values, thoughts, and actions in all circumstances, without being told what to do. Now, let's be clear. Self leaders are not outsiders or rebels. They are collaborative, inclusive, and curious. They work on teams, accept feedback, and contribute to group projects, just like anybody else. But self leaders bring a little something extra to the table. They have a strong sense of personal values, an appreciation of how their mindset matters, and a work ethic that exceeds expectations, even when nobody is looking. So another way to describe self-leadership is that it's the practice of individual accountability. I know you're not Nelson Mandela, but if you follow the practice of self-leadership and take responsibility for your values, thoughts, and actions, you can tackle and triumph over the most daunting challenges, and isn't that what life is all about?
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