23 October 2019

Self-leadership: developing the best version of yourself

woman seated, looking intently forward, in an office environment with out-of-focus elements around her, in an office environment with out-of-focus elements around her

Table of contents

Through the process of self-leadership, people can be stimulated to more easily achieve the goals they set for themselves.. It is about having a developed sense of who you are, what you can do, where you are going and combining this with the ability to influence one's communication, emotions and behaviour along the way to achieve one's personal or professional goals.

What is self-leadership?

Self-leadership is the ability of an individual to take the helm of his or her own life and to steer it skilfully, based on self-observation and self-awareness. development of competences. When well thought out, the fruit of such a process is personal development, which benefits all aspects of a person's life:

How are people capable of carrying out a self-leadership process?

Self-leaders are in constant development, working on their self-awareness, self-confidence and self-efficacy. Their aim to optimise themselves leads them to increase their motivation, enabling them to make timely decisions and to translate these into actions and measures that lead them to become better leaders, entrepreneurs and team members.

Self-leadership is «inside-out» leadership, although it could be likened to an "inside-out" leadership. coaching process. It is therefore a very appropriate solution to meet the challenges of the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world in which we live.

Self-leaders are very self-confident, and that comes from knowing their strengths and abilities.

Benefits for the individual and the organisation

This type of leadership is a journey, and the further along the process one goes, the more successful one becomes. As you move forward and grow, you realise that you need to continue to develop your self-management skills. This helps them to enter into an even more effective process of continuous improvement.

The benefits of self-leadership include the following:

  • Efficiency and performance. Self-efficacy is the belief that whatever comes our way, we can handle it. It is a view that gives confidence to the individual and the key to a strong, conflict-free team. Where people are capable of self-management, feedback is received and used to accept, adjust and move forward. Incoming criticism is used as opportunities to be more creative and innovative. The result is increased effectiveness and performance in the workplace.
  • Responsibility and accountability. These are two things that are often lacking in companies and that this type of leadership boosts. Among its advantages is the development of autonomy, which leads to greater acceptance and responsibility.

Self-leadership manifests itself in a positive influence on an attitude or behaviour and is the result of purposeful action.. We should all have a positive influence on ourselves and the world around us if we want to make a change.

Edenred Spain

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