Self-leadership in its simplest term is the leadership of oneself. However, how one leads themselves and if they do so effectively determines whether their leadership journey will become a transformational one or not (Neck, Manz, & Houghton, 2017). This transformational journey of self-leadership must begin by discovering one’s vocation, mastering mindfulness, and feeding one’s curiosity as these three tools lay the foundation from upon which to build.
Self-Leadership
Self-leadership, grounded in behavioral and cognitive strategies, “addresses not only how but also what and why” to aid in positivity and productivity (Neck et al., 2017). By focusing one’s attention on behavioral and cognitive strategies, you are shaping and reshaping yourself. …show more content…
Two elements vital to the understanding of vocation is the “command to serve others” and “to use the gifts that God has bestowed upon us” (Thompson & Miller-Perrin, 2003). I build my self-leadership style on these two elements. We are not silos, isolated from the rest of the world. Because of this, I lead myself to use my gifts to serve my community, making myself useful and adding value to other’s lives.
Mindfulness
To effectively self-lead, one must also practice continuous mindfulness. Mindfulness is the act of actively engaging and is harnessed by finding and embracing novelty. It is the act of learning, understanding, and appreciating the world, and it is in this act that we begin to increase our self-leadership (Langer, 2013). It is up to the leader to determine whether they are going to embrace mindfulness or allow mindlessness to impact their self negatively.
Role of mindfulness in self-leadership. We cannot begin to internally understand ourselves to lead ourselves effectively if we cannot recognize the environment around us. How to lead ourselves in that environment can only be learned if we understand the environment in which we are trying to lead. We must know how we fit into our community and what our role in that community is. One way to effectively discover this is through …show more content…
As humans, we find significance in the world around us, associating and finding meaning everywhere. We do this in hopes of finding our meaning, our purpose in the world. (Stenger, 2013). To find significance in the world, we must first engage in the world, being mindful in our search.
Curiosity
An effective self-leader must also constantly explore their curiosity. Curiosity, the act of seeking knowledge, “involves the active recognition, pursuit, and regulation of one’s experience in response to challenging opportunities” (Kashdan & Steger, 2007). In self-leadership, one decides whether they are going to fully explore their curiosity to “gain knowledge and information” or focus on the novelty simply for the fleeting excitement it may bring (Koetting, 2012).
Role of curiosity in self-leadership. A self-leader is required to do more than just notice the things around them; they must also learn from them. Whether you are effective in your self-leadership depends on how deep you are willing to go in experiencing and exploring that curiosity. If one chooses to explore their curiosity, then the benefits which come with curiosity are also fully recognized. Curiosity which “makes us feel more competent and boosts our mood and self-esteem,” then improves our ability to lead ourselves in a more positive manner (Koetting,