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Lead Yourself and Others

October 11, 2000

"Before you can lead others, you have to learn how to lead yourself.  You must set the example.  According to the 3 C Leadership Model, that means you must challenge yourself (get out of your comfort zone), build your confidence, and continuously learn new skills and strategies.

You have to stretch yourself and push beyond your comfort zone, even though it's stressful.  If you never take risks, what type of message does that send?  Consider challenging yourself by doing some of the following:

* Take on one difficult assignment in the next three months.
* Take one new approach to running a meeting, making a presentation, or giving people feedback.
* Once a week have lunch with different people from inside and outside your company.
* Visit other companies, and identify one new approach you will try back on your job.
* Take a course and learn a new skill that's outside your area of expertise3.
* Volunteer to be part of a project team that's dealing with a tough community issue (Thornton, 2000, p. 133)."

Reference:  Thornton, P.B. (2000).  Be the leader: make the difference.  Torrance Ca: Griffin Publishing Company.

A very special thanks to Paul Thornton, the author of this week's resource, for donating a signed copy of his book to the Ohio State University Leadership Center.

Are you challenging yourself?

Be the Leader is available on loan from the OSU Leadership Center.  A complete listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~leaders

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Created: 2009-01-02, Updated: 2009-01-12