Personal Leadership
For the leader within all of us
What will you bring to the table?
Marianne Hagen, alumni relations officer for the Faculty of Management and long-time volunteer with St. John Ambulance, is committed to volunteering and putting her skills to work to help people. Read full story on Marianne (Dal News, Aug. 2012).
Taking charge
Personal leadership is the desire of an individual to take charge of his or her own life. Those who practice personal leadership realize that leadership is not limited to a position or title, but is an outlook on life and their role in the world. “We can all show leadership by how we go about our daily work. Individuals in any position can make a commitment to:
- be guided by personal and organizational values,
- develop relationships based on mutual trust and respect,
- take initiative in their jobs,
- be responsible for learning and for teaching others,
- offer suggestions and ideas for how to do things better,
- engage in open and honest communication,
- support their co-workers or direct-reports, and
- recognize others’ contributions.”
(Creating Healthy Organizations, Graham Lowe, 2007)
Making a commitment
Like most things worth having, the traits of a leader do not come easily to a person. On the other hand, living a philosophy of personal leadership does not require a magical formula, nor is it available to only a few. It is actually available to most but what it requires is a commitment to self-reflection, a sense of purpose and personal values.
In a sense, personal leadership is also about becoming a good follower as we seek continuous improvement and correct our course as needed. If personal leadership had a motto it would be this: “Before I seek to change or motivate others I must first learn to change and motivate myself. I must first become the change I wish to see in others.” (Greg Thomas, weLEAD Online Magazine).
