The document discusses self-esteem and its relationship to leadership. It defines self-esteem as how positively one views the qualities in their self-concept. Self-esteem develops from messages received in childhood about one's self, which can be internalized as an inner critic. However, one can build healthy self-esteem by recognizing that early messages were judgments rather than facts, and determining one's own truths about oneself based on facts. With a balanced and accepting self-view, one can better start to lead others.

1. SELF-ESTEEM
FOR
Women’s Center of Jacksonville
Learning for Leadership Program
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2. WHAT DOES SELF-ESTEEM HAVE TO DO
WITH LEADERSHIP?
 Before you can start to lead others, you must know
and be assured of yourself and your worth.
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 What do you bring to the world?
 What do you bring to your interactions with others?
 How do others perceive and respond to you?

3. WHAT IS SELF-ESTEEM?
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 The Psychology Dictionary defines self-esteem as:
 The degree to which the qualities contained in our self-
concept are seen to be positive.
 Reflects a person’s image of [her] self and
accomplishments
http://psychologydictionary.org/self-esteem/
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4. WHAT IS SELF-ESTEEM?
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 Here is another simple definition of self-esteem,
along with ideas you may wish to consider.
 View the video here
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5. HEALTHY SELF-ESTEEM
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Characteristics of healthy self-esteem include:
 Self-acceptance
 Security
 Happiness and fulfillment
 Taking responsibility
 Unconditional love relationships
 Looking within for answers

6. UNHEALTHY SELF-ESTEEM
Characteristics of unhealthy self-esteem include:
 Critical of self and others
 Love/hate relationships
 Unhappy and unfulfilled
 Blame
 Looking to others for answers
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7. SOURCE OF SELF-ESTEEM
 Where does self-esteem come from?
 Messages about self received in childhood
 Criticism
 Family relationships
 Social status
 Messages internalized to self-image
 Mirror theory
 I understand myself through what others reflect to me.
 Messages mostly subconscious, rarely questioned.
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8. MESSAGE EXAMPLES
 What were some negative messages about yourself
received from well-meaning family, friends, and
teachers?
 Examples may be:
 You are lazy
 You are hyperactive
 You are too fat/short/tall
 You are rude/disobedient
 You are a sinner
 You will never be a scholar
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The list goes on…

9. INNER CRITIC
 Internalized messages become inner critic
 Unconscious and unquestioned beliefs
 Not factual, but judgmental statements
 Create feelings of helplessness, low self-worth
 Can cause self-sabotage
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10. SILENCING THE INNER CRITIC
 The secret weapon is truth.
 Messages from others are judgments, not facts.
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Judgment Factual Truth
You are fat. I am 5’3 and weigh 175 lbs.
You are a klutz. I sometimes lose my balance and
stumble.
You can’t do anything. I can’t do everything. I can do
some things, and they are…
You are stupid. I don’t know all the answers.
You don’t even try. I do the best I can in the moment.

11. RECAP
 The basis for leadership is our own image of ourselves
and to what extent we see our qualities as positive.
 Healthy self-esteem means self-acceptance, taking
responsibility, forming healthy relationships, and making
good decisions.
 Self-image is originally based on the judgmental
messages we receive from others in childhood.
 We have the power to examine those messages and
determine our own truths.
 We can use the facts to gain a more balanced perspective on
ourselves and change or accept our personal traits and qualities. 11
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