Leading Yourself: The First Step in True Leadership
Leadership isn’t about a title. It’s not about how many people report to you or how many decisions you make in a day. Leadership, at its core, starts with one thing: leading yourself.
A few months ago, I had one of those overwhelming days where everything felt like too much. My two kids under two needed me. My students were emailing last-minute questions about assignments, and my commitment to my community work was pulling me in another direction. It felt like I was trying to lead in every direction—except internally. That’s when I realized: I can’t effectively lead others if I’m not first leading myself.
Research backs this up. In fact a meta-analysis done by past colleagues Michael Harari Ethlyn Williams Stephanie Castro Dr. Katarina Brant on self-leadership studies spanning two decades found that self-leadership is a strong predictors of job performance, self-efficacy, and overall satisfaction in leadership roles. It’s not about managing people; it’s about managing your own mindset, actions, and reactions. Self-leadership is defined as the ability to influence yourself to achieve self-direction and self-motivation. This includes:
✔️ Managing your emotions under stress
✔️ Staying accountable to your own values and goals
✔️ Recognizing when you’re operating from a place of reaction instead of intention
The truth is, many of us are leading on autopilot. We’re so consumed by external demands that we forget to check in with who we are and how we show up. You don’t build a leadership legacy in the future—you build it in the small, daily decisions you make about how you lead yourself today. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or like you’re running on autopilot, pause. Leadership isn’t about doing more. It’s about leading you first.
💡 Over the next few weeks, I’ll bring research-backed insights from my leadership class and research I read to the forefront, making leadership science accessible and actionable. Because leadership starts inward, and the best training is evidence-based and custom-tailored. Let’s grow together.
