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How do I improve in the areas of self-leadership and self-management?

Home » Leadership » Self-Leadership and Self-Management » How do I improve in the areas of self-leadership and self-management?

Self-leadership and self-management often remain very vague topics. What are some practical steps you can take to improve in these areas?


  • Self-awareness: What are your goals? What are your visions (personal or career-oriented) for the future? These are the questions of self-leadership. Define your goals and articulate them to yourself. As for self-management, consider your strengths and weaknesses, and ask co-workers and friends for feedback. Do you struggle with time-management? Staying under budget? Working with the rest of your team? What resources (tangible or intangible) are you not taking advantage of? Recognize the areas on which you need to focus.
  • Self-direction: This is where you make your plan. Write out your goals and the hoped-for effects of these goals. Then determine some basic steps; remember, all you need to get moving is a direction and a first step. In the area of self-management, outline a plan to keep track of your progress in the areas you’re identified. If it’s time management, make a schedule. If it’s financial management, keep track of every dollar spent.
  • Self-punishment/Self-reward: If you were leading or managing others, you would hold them to their jobs; do the same for yourself. If you are leading yourself down a five-year path, take stock along the way and reward or challenge yourself appropriately. If you are trying to manage money and you don’t make it, sacrifice a little—make it cost you. Hold yourself to the same standard to which you would hold a team you were leading or managing.

What motivates you? Is it the people around you or is it inner conviction and goals you have already set? When you have problems at work, do you wait for someone else to solve them or do you take initiative? Improvement in the areas of self-leadership and self-management is marked by your increases in taking responsibility and initiative for yourself and your workplace. That is your measuring stick: do you take more responsibility and initiative than you did one, two, twenty years ago?



Next Page: Can a team be self-leading and self-managing?

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