What Is Self Leadership?
Four Questions to Help You Inspire Self Leadership in Your Team
Self leadership is a term that gets used a lot in business and personal self-development. But what is self leadership exactly? And, more importantly, how can you inspire your team to be self leaders and bring even more to the table?
What is Self Leadership?
There are numerous definitions for self leadership, most of which revolve around an individual’s ability to lead themselves to achieve their personal and professional goals. At Bold Kindness, though, we believe self leadership encompasses a much broader range of qualities. Self leaders:
- Are empowered to lead themselves and take responsibility for their own actions.
- Guide themselves toward a desired outcome, instead of relying on others to tell them what to do.
- Have the emotional intelligence to know how they’re showing up and how to self-regulate if their emotions run high.
- Are clear on who they are and what they want.
- Respond instead of reacting.
- Are curious and take initiative.
- Are lifelong learners who are constantly seeking a way to be and do better.
- Take responsibility for self leadership and make decisions about how to achieve goals.
Why Do Self Leadership Skills Matter?
Self leadership is all about autonomy. And when we’re able to be autonomous – to make decisions for ourselves and be the author of our lives – we feel happier and more fulfilled. Self leaders are welcomed and encouraged to take a seat at the table and bring solutions, contribute to goals and drive results in the organization without fear of being reprimanded for stepping on someone’s toes.
Here’s an example. In a traditional workplace, a leader might tell their sales team that sales are down and dictate specific actions that need to be done: make more calls to potential clients, increase field visits, etc.
However, if a team member has critical self leadership skills, they notice that sales are down without waiting for someone to call it to their attention and require action. They get curious about how to approach the problem and collaborate to discuss it as a team. They come up with solutions to increase sales, inform their leader of their proposed plan and seek advice where needed. Then they work together to take action.
In this way, the self leader has the freedom and autonomy to come up with solutions on their own and make a more meaningful contribution. They own their results: both the successes and the failures.
How Do You Inspire Self Awareness in Your Team?
As a leader, you can help your team cultivate self leadership skills by first asking yourself these questions:
- How do you instill self leadership in your organization?
- How does your team cultivate self awareness?
- What is your team enthusiastic to learn?
- How does your team own their behavior and results?
By getting curious, asking yourself questions, and being open to what you find in your team members, you can begin instilling self leadership in your team.
Remember, though, being a self leader takes work. Self leadership requires time and personal investment. It takes confidence, curiosity and vulnerability. Self leadership doesn’t work well for people who want to protect their job stability, “just want to do their job” or aren’t open to feedback. But the more you can find and motivate self leadership in your team, the happier and more fulfilled they will be. That's good for them, and that’s good for business.
