I have been a proponent of flexible working for most of my career.
As small business owners, freelancers, and contractors we take on the responsibility for ensuring the work gets done…no one is watching us, no one is looking over our shoulders…no one else bears the responsibility for our deliverables. In fact, in our research into the competencies necessary to be a successful remote worker, the second most necessary competence cited was self-directed or self-motivated. This was second only to excellence in communication.
While there is a sense of freedom running your own business, there is also a high degree of responsibility…responsibility for yourself, and for others.
I once asked a group of 3rd-year business students to imagine they had graduated with a business degree and had landed the job of their dreams. I invited them to share what that might look like. They had no problem describing the job, in detail, and how amazing the whole experience would be; their excitement would have made a bystander think they had already landed the deal!
I then asked them what professional development looked like, and who would be responsible for ensuring their continued growth and development. With the same amount of confidence and enthusiasm, the most outspoken student stated ” Well, they will…the place that hired me”.
At that point, the teacher in me left the room and the mother took over. You know that feeling? You know that voice, that look? Fortunately, I quickly regained my composure and launched into a more professor-appropriate response that challenged their belief that someone else should be responsible for their continued growth and betterment…especially those who desired to run their own business!
These unsuspecting students had their first lesson on the importance of SELF-LEADERSHIP.”
I’m sure you have heard the term ‘imposter syndrome’... Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud". It’s a very real thing…and even the most gifted leaders and business owners I know experience it. Being told, ‘Get over yourself, it’s not all about you!’ is of no help at all!
When it comes to those we lead…it’s not all about us. HOWEVER, when it comes to self-leadership IT IS ALL ABOUT US…no one else holds this responsibility.
Self-leadership… its importance cannot be overstated. Traditionally, leaders were thought of as people in positions of authority…and that would be accurate in one sense of the word. We refer to this as positional leadership
However...that’s not the only definition of leadership…in this quote from Robin Sharma, we learn that influential leadership comes from the relationships we build with people.
Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence, and inspiration.
While you may have positional leadership, there is no guarantee you also have influential leadership, and vice versa.
However, having influential leadership is what can make a great positional leader, whether leading a business of 500 people, or 5 people.
Again, what we want to focus on is how we can be better self-leaders, so we can lead others more effectively. This quote is from Amy Franko, a keynote speaker, sales strategist, and author specializing in B2B sales and sales leadership development, states:
Self-leadership describes how you lead your own life – setting your course, following it and correcting as you go.
She goes on to say, “Life and business are often intertwined, so it also reflects how you work with clients, colleagues, and the leadership in our organization.”
The question is, how do we develop self-leadership? Here are 3 practical suggestions that we will continue to build on over the coming weeks:
Take time to learn and grow your strengths.
Be aware of, and grow your emotional intelligence (EI).
Turn discovery into action.
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