Volume 11, Issue 08: The Hardest Person To Lead

Leading myself is just about the hardest thing I get to do. I know what to do. I motivate others to do the same things. But disciplining myself to do as I say isn't always easy. It's easy to know the right path to take. It's easy to tell people what to do for successful living. But it's not so easy to lead yourself.

When you have gone ahead in something and are able to lead others in it, the greatest risk to manage is ensuring that you are not leading people to a place you yourself are not going. If you did, you will not only be a fraud, but you will miss out on the success that you only know too well of.

As leaders in one area or another, we must be hard on ourselves to follow through what we know is right and beneficial. We should not be caught pointing the way for others for a journey we are not taking. We must lead by example, especially when no one is watching.

If for instance I know the value of reading widely and teach my children to nature the habit of reading, I should not be found slacking in my reading habits. If I am known to my siblings as an advocate for healthy living, I should be sure to keep up with my healthy living habits.

What helps is remaining in environments and contexts that support our lifestyle choices. Habits are easier to keep up with in the contexts that support them. I may have no problem eating healthy at home because my set up has eliminated unhealthy food options. But if I moved to a set up that makes it hard to eat healthy meals, I would probably soon succumb to the available unhealthy food options there.

Therefore because it's true that the hardest person to lead is ourselves, we must consciously endevour to go the extra mile in leading ourselves. We should never be okay with taking people where we are not going. We must continue to do what we have internalized enough to motivate others to do. We must lead by example.

For His Glory,

Lillian Chebosi