Great leadership starts with self leadership. If we can't conduct our own lives effectively, we can't effectively lead others. Think about this. How inspired are you to follow someone who:

• Never completes a project or achieves a goal
• Always has an excuse for everything
• Lives in continual disarray, or
• Displays poor interpersonal skills?

Most likely, you've cringed at some or all of the above statements. What person in your life comes to mind right now? How effective are you in the skills that would prevent such words from describing you?

Self leadership starts with knowing yourself intimately, commonly known in the coaching world as self awareness. Interestingly enough, self awareness is one of the most lacking skills in leaders today. Most of us tend to see the world through our own dirty glasses, not realizing how we really stack up to true greatness.

Once you know yourself - your strengths, weaknesses, behavior tendencies and motivators - you can begin to lead yourself to success. Following are some ways to become more self aware:

• Take some behavioral/personality/skills assessments from a reputable provider/coach and develop some action steps based on what learn about yourself.
• Ask for honest feedback from a trusted adviser, peers or subordinates on specific strategic areas you need to succeed. (Note: A 360 degree assessment can provide this for you and guarantee anonymity for your reviewers) 
• Get serious about writing that personal mission or life purpose statement. 

Finally, live life with an open mind and remember that oftentimes other people know you better than you know yourself. Listen to what they are really saying about you and then lead yourself to become what you were created to be.

What will you do today to know yourself better? What tools have worked for you in the past?  As always, we'd love to hear from you in a comment!

Leadership requires guts. Guts to make tough decisions. Guts to stand alone for what is right rather than what is popular. Guts to leave behind the old for the promise of the new. Leaders with guts make good decisions and press forward with their eyes fixed on the future.

Have you ever questioned a decision you've made to move forward? We all have. However, if we've used a good decision making process, our looking back causes more harm than good. Think about the following:

• Football players who look back while rumbling for long touchdowns often get tackled just inches before the goal line...and lose the score. 
• Sprinters who look back lose forward momentum...and the race.
• Rock climbers who look back (down) lose their courage to make it to the top.

Looking back rarely gets us the win. What are you looking back for?

Following is a poem I'd like to share to encourage you to press forward into all that you are created to be, in leadership and in life. Enjoy, and as always, your comments are appreciated!