Most people work hard, hoping to create the life they are dreaming of. But what if the ladder they are so busy climbing turns out to be leaning against the wrong wall? Have you ever wondered why following what parents, employers, media and our culture tell us to do doesn’t actually leave you fulfilled and happy? Until we tailor our life path to align with what matters most to us, we follow others’ recipes or commercial one-size-fits all approaches. What we need is a truly personalised compass to the life that is best for us, we need to define our own unique definition of success by committing to Personal Leadership, a personality-tailored approach to leading fulfilling and meaningful lives. Take control and choose to start your journey to becoming a Personal Leader today. The following article outlines what I mean with Personal Leadership and how you can become a Personal Leader.
I define Personal Leadership as:
Pro-actively and consciously choosing to lead life on your own terms and in alignment with your personal values thereby creating deeply meaningful experiences; effectively using personal strengths and self-coaching strategies to grow, connect and create results even in uncertainty while taking full responsibility for your actions (or lack thereof) and the life you are creating.
In essence, becoming a Personal Leader is about becoming the pilot of your own life, a life aligned with what matters most to you. Self-awareness and pro-active value-aligned forward movement are two core strands running through the life of Personal Leaders.
When people decide to become Personal Leaders, magic happens in their lives. Not many people know what it means to choose the path of a Personal Leader or where and how to start their journey. I have designed a clear 4-step success path for you to walk. It starts with clarifying your values, continues with developing a Personal Leadership mindset, then creating a vision or script of your best and most fulfilling live ideas and culminates in putting it all into practice fully supported by me and others on the same path. I am here to coach and guide you along the way.
What does it mean to live like a Personal Leader?
Personal Leaders don’t just live life, they feel empowered to create life on their own terms like you would create a piece of art, write a novel or create a movie – not just once but repeatedly. Sure of their deepest values and what matters most to them, they have the courage to be authentic and extraordinary. They feel increasingly independent of external pressures and are proud to walk their own path rather than following the norm. They are exceptional autobiographers. By intentionally designing and creating exciting and fulfilling life segments aligned to their values, they create invigorating life phases full of meaning and purpose. They are proud of the rich stories they are creating, proud of who they are and have become. They feel deeply fulfilled, alive and connected. They feel pure joy. By inadvertently inspiring others in a myriad of ways, they feel their life matters. By consistently showing up as their true self, aligned with and loyal to their deeply held values, they radiate strength and trustworthiness. By living their personal values with such courage and commitment, they are easily recognised by others who share similar values, forging deep connections, inspired bonds and sparkling interactions.
Not being a personal leader means your life remains governed by external circumstances, feeling more like surviving than thriving. You are wasting your full potential and precious time in your life. You might feel trapped and hide your true self from yourself and others. You might even feel forced to pretend to be somebody or something you are not for the quick fix of approval, only to feel empty and lonely again when the feeling wanes.
I have been there and know how frustrating it can be. Unfortunately, I recognised the issue too late and cancer was my wake-up call. Let this article be your wake-up call. We don’t need more suffering. Hard work should be rewarded with a great fulfilling life. Personal Leadership is your ticket.
How do Personal Leaders Navigate Life?
In the first instance Personal Leaders possess an inner leadership compass that guides their actions and decisions. Personal leaders might not even be aware of having this compass. Their life experience and subsequent reflection led to the creation of their compass. With some dedicated effort and professional guidance anybody can develop an inner compass.
What is a Personal Leadership Compass & how to get it?
Your Personal Leadership Compass is a clear structured summary of your essence, of what matters most to you. It will serve as a tool to a fulfilling personal and professional life and becoming the person you want to be. In other words, it will be a concise overview and reminder of what is essential to you. You can start creating yours by taking the online course IVALYOO: A Personalised Compass To Your Best Life.
Why does Personal Leadership matter?
Personal Leadership transforms life on a personal, relational and societal level.
Not only do Personal Leaders experience more fulfilment, meaning and joy in their lives. They’re superior self-awareness and inspirational authentic way of life is also attractive to others, e.g. employers. Sharpening the soft skills that are part of personal leadership will set you apart in a competitive world. As if creating a meaningful life wasn’t incentive enough, employers are keenly seeking people who demonstrate personal leadership.
The current market requires graduate students to reflect on who they are and where they hope to be in the future. In addition the old axiom ‘know thyself’ could not be more appropriate for students in today’s highly competitive global economy. (Rubens et al, 2017, p. 11)
There can’t be any purposeful aligned forward movement and goal achievement without self awareness. As the linked Forbes article says, the most important element for career (and I add LIFE) success is clarity, clarity about what matters most to you (which will be an expression of your values). The lessons are true for men and women alike.