The toughest person to lead is yourself. To lead others effectively, you must first learn to lead yourself by managing your emotions, weaknesses, and time effectively. Admitting your shortcomings is difficult but important for growth. Focus on tasks that play to your strengths and delegate other responsibilities when possible. Lead by example through developing credibility and accountability.

1. The Toughest Person to Lead is?
Yourself!

2. The Toughest Person to Lead is?
The Toughest Person to Lead is?
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Revision Date 2/7/2015
Table of Contents
The Toughest person to Lead is? 3
Managing yourself 3

3. The Toughest Person to Lead is?
The Toughest person to Lead is?
Managing yourself
Admitting that leading myself is a challenge brings back
painful memories. Many of my leadership breakdowns
have been personal breakdowns.
I’ve made plenty of mistakes, and at least three real
leadership crises.. And all of them were my fault.
If I were to kick the but of the person responsible, I’d be
stretching some strange muscles and bones to do so.
To be able to lead others, the first thing you have to do,
is be able to lead yourself.
It’s tempting to blame others for our own failings. I know
that I do. Of course, you wouldn’t do that.
I like to think that those I compete with, are to blame for
my failings. But it’s not true. When I fail, it was always
me, who failed me.
It’s painful, I know, to look deep inside and admit to
some shortcomings. But if we don’t, then one day, those
very shortcoming are what will sabotage us.

4. The Toughest Person to Lead is?
The Toughest person to Lead is?
Managing yourself
Do you, like me, try to delude yourself that you haven’t
got a particular weak spot? Like me have you fallen
victim to them?
When you are upset do you display your emotions?
Yeah, sure you do. But that’s the time when a good
leader would delay showing them.
Display your emotions when you are in a positive way
trying to motivate the people who are around you.
So often, we display emotions because it makes us feel
better. That’s not a leadership option. You must always
ask yourself: “What’s best for the team?”
Have you ever followed a leader who cannot control
their emotions or their responses?

5. The Toughest Person to Lead is?
The Toughest person to Lead is?
Managing yourself
This is most difficult in the middle of the hierarchy. At
the top you can delegate, at the bottom you just have to
punch in and out.
PS You cannot actually manage time!
You’ve heard of Pareto or the 80/20 rule?
It’s one of those simple rules that just seems to work.
80% of the work is done with 20% of the effort.
The remaining 20%, requires 80% of the effort.
So it’s best if we understand this and realise that we
should be doing things that align with our strengths and
talents – and therefore get done more easily and rapidly
that covers 80% of our work.
Remembering that there are some things that are
REQUIRED of us, that only we can do.

6. The Toughest Person to Lead is?
The Toughest person to Lead is?
Managing yourself
Some things, when we do them give the greatest
RETURN. Check on what you are doing that could be
done at least 80% as well, by someone else.
Thirdly, there are things we do that gives us a personal
REWARD.
Think of your current role – and the things that you do
on a regular basis. What things are you doing that only
you can do or must do?
What things are you doing that give you the greatest
return on your efforts?
And lastly, what are you doing that gives you a personal
REWARD.
Are you balanced?
Are you in your strengths zone or do you need to
eliminate things? How will you do that?
Use your strengths to get the greatest R3 you can.
I was at a leadership conference doing a Q&A and this
young man raised his hand to ask a question.
He said “John, you’ve been talking about leadership
principles all day and I love them, but I have a question. I
don’t have anybody to lead. I don’t have a company, I
don’t have a small business, I don’t have a team. I’m not
a manger so where do I start?”
And I looked at him and I laughed and I said, “Start with
yourself. Lead yourself. You see if you wouldn’t follow
you, why would anybody else follow you?”
Credibility begins with you. In other words, become the
person who is worthy of someone following them.

7. The Toughest Person to Lead is?
The Toughest person to Lead is?
Managing yourself
Who do you seek out to help you remain accountable?
All of us are surrounded by leaders. Some have positions
of authority over us, most do not.
Some people emulate their parents or close relatives as
they grow in their leadership. And it is common to see
generations of a family all showing similar, if not
identical, leadership qualities.
Choose who you emulate with discernment and wisdom.

8. The Toughest Person to Lead is?
The Toughest person to Lead is?
Managing yourself
Putting it into practice.