Lead Thyself

While walking toward the small country church I had served for a couple of months, I had a thought I have not forgotten. “If I ever figure out what I’m doing,” I said to myself, “I will spend the rest of my life helping others figure it out.”

I was twenty-six-years-old. This was my first full-time position as pastor. It has been nearly thirty years since that day, and no, I still don’t have it figured out. Not all of it. I’m not sure what percentage of it I do have figured out. It varies from day to day.

After facilitating LifePlans for the last couple of years, I am comfortable saying that I know more than average in at least a few areas. I don’t know it all and nobody could stand being around me if I did, but I do understand some things now that I wish I had all those years ago.

It became clear to me that what some old philosopher said was true. Our first leadership is self-leadership. Until we lead ourselves well, we cannot lead others with authenticity and integrity.

That’s where the name of this blog came from. YouLeadU is a clever title I made up all by myself. I was going to build a business around the name until a wise consultant asked me some good coaching questions and talked me out of it.

Imagine you had never seen that name in print. We meet on an airplane and you ask me what I do. I tell you that I have a small business called You Lead You. At least that’s what you hear. When you search for it on the internet later so that you can hire me to facilitate your LifePlan, you can’t find it. I lose your business.

Don’t you hate it when someone is so right and you are so wrong?

So, I saved the clever name for print. Who knows, you may not think it’s all that clever. However, you can’t deny that it is descriptive, right? Right? RIGHT?

Let’s learn some lessons on self-leadership together. I know stuff you need to know. You know stuff I need to know. Together, we can come up with some really good stuff.

Let’s start with three questions:

1. What do you need to know about self-leadership? (How are you at follow-through on what you promise yourself?)
2. What are your personal leadership challenges?
3. What problem do you wrestle with repeatedly?

Respond by email to david@refocuscoach.org. I look forward to hearing from you.