Learning
The sweeper of the street is a leader in his own respect provided he does his job well with all love, diligence and attention than anyone would do when given the same broom sticks.
When people talk about leadership, they the focus is most often on others – how leaders serve them, empower them and motivate them.
What if we turn the tables, though?
What if instead of thinking about leadership in relation to others, we concentrate on the leadership we can take within our own lives? What would that look like?
Here are 12 ways that becoming the leader of your own life will make a big difference:
1. Set goals for your life: Set daily, monthly and long-term goals tied to your visions and dreams. Don’t be afraid to go for something big – remember, nothing is impossible if you believe you can achieve it. Once you’ve set your goals, ask yourself daily what you’re doing to reach them.
2. Lead by example: Your life is your message, so to be leader of your life you need to decide what message you want to send.
3. Be fearless: To lead in your life requires that you do things that make you afraid–because life will unfold in portion to your courage.
4. Honor others: Others will tell you to make sure you get all the credit and validation that are due to you. But being the leader of your own life means learning to be humble and give away the credit.
5. Embrace new ideas and opportunities: Don’t shy away from anything new, whether it’s an opportunity, an idea, or an experience. Turn everyday into an adventure and work to turn all the programs, projects and processes in your life into possibilities.
6. Question everything: Ask yourself questions to stay focused–simple questions to clarify issues and facts, and complex questions for deeper insights into concepts and beliefs. Curiosity is an important way to become the leader of your own life.
7. Do what’s right, not what’s easy: There are some things you simply don’t take liberties with. When it comes to integrity, honesty and ethics there is no room for compromise. Make sure that what you say and what you do are always in alignment; keep integrity at the heart of your character and you will never lose sight of it.
8. Find goodness and beauty in everyone and everything: It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the negativity and ugliness that exist in the world. But if we spend our time seeking out beauty in everything and in everyone, how different life becomes.
9. Actively reject pessimism: There will always be something to be negative about. Instead, practice zero tolerance for negativity. The more you reject things that are defeatist, critical, fatalistic and apathetic, the more room you leave in your life for positivity.
10. Be the change you want to see in the world: Everything you want begins with you. It starts within. To live in the world of your dreams, you must, in Gandhi’s famous words, be the change you want to see. Dream big and start small.
11. Surround yourself with mentors and teachers: You can’t grow when you think you’re the smartest person in the room. Always be on the lookout for teachers and mentors who are smarter and more experienced than you.
12. Care for and about people: Make sure that compassion and empathy are a central part of who you are, and you’ll stay connected to your basic humanity.
Learning from Broom: Become A Better Leader Of Your Own Life
