Every person is responsible for the way they lead their own life. While no one can control the hand they are dealt in life, they can decide how to play it. Accepting and even relishing that responsibility is the first sign
of leadership.
To play your hand well, you need to think about what “the pursuit of happiness” means to you. Most see happiness as synonymous with pleasure (good food, a new car, a big bonus). A few see it as feeling at peace with oneself and the world. Some, like Aristotle, define happiness as participating in something that brings fulfillment. That is, it’s not having but doing that gives the greatest satisfaction. While I appreciate pleasure and peace, I fundamentally agree with Aristotle. That is why my calling is to help people become evermore authentic, effective, and alive in their work.
In addition, you need to assess your performance each quarter, and not only what you accomplished but, equally important, how you did it. To that end, you need to see yourself as others see you, so you can make a clear-eyed assessment of your strengths and vulnerabilities. So ask your coworkers for feedback and reflect on your own performance. Then, pick one thing to improve and create a leadership-learning plan for the
next quarter.
I was reminded of the importance of self-awareness at the end of a program with seventeen country managers. On the flight home I was talking to their vice president, and he said something that has stayed with me forever, “If you can’t see yourself, you can’t see others.” Building on this idea, I now say: “If you can’t see yourself, you can’t see others. And if you can’t see others, you can’t lead them.”
Learn more about how to Lead Oneself by reading The Ugly Duckling Goes to Work.
