You go first

Chapter 227

“ The toughest person you will ever lead is yourself.” - Betsy Myers

Setting yourself up for success is much more difficult than you would think. You are immune to all your pep talks, all your psychology, all your learning, all your best practices and all your convincing. Yes that stuff works on other people and on your clients, and the other people you lead, but your immunity to what works on other people that you lead, is so strong and is an impregnable mental and psychic prison. This rabbit hole is a really deep one and this chapter not nearly long enough to dig very far into it, but . . . 

Maybe its imposter syndrome, we can’t fool ourselves much, and we know all our own weaknesses impeccably. And we likely amplify them far too much and call it clarity, but maybe not.  Perhaps this is simple insecurity and that can be expressed powerfully internally and completely disarm all your confidence in the facts - that you are actually a very accomplished and capable person. Maybe you are far more critical of yourself than you are of others, unreasonably so, and that this cripples your self leadership. Perhaps its is the internal narrative you have still going from your childhood or teen years, those stories that can make so difficult to hear and follow your self leadership.

I could, and probably you could, go on for pages and pages about why we don’t follow the great self leadership that we offer to others, but won’t go there. Instead become smarter than smart - take and follow that great leadership material you are preparing for others. Take and follow those best practices that are helping others move forward.

Lead yourself first, and require that you do it before expecting anyone else to do it.