BEFORE LEADING OTHERS, LEAD ‘You’

‘You Cannot Lead Others Until You First Learn To Lead Yourself.’’ — Robin Sharma

In leadership, before you influence outcomes, cultures, or people, your first and most enduring leadership project is YOU, because ‘‘The most difficult person you will ever lead is yourself.’’ Bill George.

 Leadership presence starts long before the boardroom, yet in the rush of daily pressures, leaders often abandon the one thing they cannot outsource, which is their presence.

THE HIDDEN VARIABLE OF HIGH-IMPACT LEADERSHIP

Let’s be honest: people don’t just follow strategy. They follow presence, they follow energy, they follow you. Think of two leaders walking into a room:

• One is composed, focused, listens deeply, and moves with intention.
• The other is hurried, reactive, eyes darting to their phone, smile tight with stress.

Which leader commands trust?
Which leader sparks safety, alignment, and ownership in their team?

The difference isn’t in what they say, it’s in who they are, because “The success of your leadership depends not just on what you do, but on who you are when you do it.” — Frances Frei, Harvard Business School

LEADERSHIP IS AN ENERGY GAME

Your physical, emotional, and mental well-being directly affects:

• How you respond under pressure
• The confidence your team feels in chaos
• The quality of the decisions you make
• Whether people feel seen, heard, and safe to contribute

When you’re depleted, your leadership becomes transactional; when you’re centred, your leadership becomes transformational.

That’s why well-being isn’t a luxury; it’s a leadership discipline. Stephen Covey called it ‘‘Sharpening the Saw.’’ This is a reminder that you cannot expect excellent results by cutting with a dull blade.

Lead change effectively by first understanding yourself. Click Here.  To understand how the DISC Assessment uncovers your natural response to workplace transitions.”

THE COACHING PERSPECTIVE: WHO ARE YOU BEING AS A LEADER?

Coaching doesn’t just ask what you are doing, it asks who you are becoming. Are you modelling the calm, resilience, and self-awareness you want to see in others?
Are you aware of what energy you bring into the room before you speak a word? As John Maxwell said, ‘‘You must first become the kind of person you would want to follow.’’

HERE ARE FOUR HIGH-IMPACT ROUTINES TO HELP YOU FIRST LEAD YOURSELF:

• Mindfulness & Centring: Build 5–10 minutes of stillness into your day. Deep breathing. Intentional presence. It helps focus your nervous system.
• Foundational Health: Leadership needs stamina. Prioritise sleep, hydration, whole foods, and regular movement. Not for vanity, for vitality.
• Boundary Setting: Protect your peak energy zones. Say no with grace. Model what sustainable excellence looks like.
• Reconnect With Your Core Values: In the noise of external demands, regularly return to why you lead and what matters most to you.

Competent leadership requires more than strategy; it demands profound self-understanding. Click Here.  To know how the DISC Assessment provides critical insights into your behavioural response patterns to organisational shifts.

LEAD YOU. THEN LEAD THEM.

This week, whether you’re launching projects or navigating tension, don’t forget the leader behind the title, the leader your team feels more than hears, the leader who sets the pace, tone, and temperature.

Because the truth is:

• Before you lead the mission, you must lead the messenger.
• Before you influence others, you must embody alignment.
• Before leading others, lead you.

Exceptional leadership begins with mastery of self. Discover how intentional self-development creates transformational leadership capacity. Book a Discovery Call now: https://scheduler.zoom.us/grace-centre-for-growth-excellence/discovery-meeting

Come Along and Grow with Grace!

Live2Lead Elevate Leadership Conference 2025
This is more than inspiration; it’s instruction for leaders ready to move.

The future favours the bold. If you’re not growing, you’re falling behind. Don’t wait to feel ready. Decide to lead differently.

 Click HERE to reserve your seat today.

References

John C. Maxwell, Law of the Lid: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

Frances Frei, Harvard Business School.

Bill George, True North

Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Robin Sharma, the leader who had no title