Leading yourself and leading others

A leader is best when people barely know he exist, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: We did it ourselves. - Lao Tzu

In connection with our ELP seminar, Sir Tenorio shared with us his lecture on leading yourself and leading others. This topic refers to the system wherein you cannot lead others if you cannot even lead yourself, because leadership starts within oneself. In leading yourself, you need to invest in the things you cannot see, which means that you should invest in your knowledge, emotions, character, and other traits that make you an effective leader. These are the intangible things that only you can prove and improve as an individual. Honing these traits, along with your physical outlook and strength, provides you with a catalyst for change with regards to your leadership style and will gradually make you a better leader and a better person as a whole. In this way, we need to become the best version of ourselves by improving these points in our lives. We should improve our way of thinking, strengthen our emotions, and control or change our behavior. It is needed in order to achieve your mission or goal. He also taught us to be ourselves and that we do not need to copy others. We must be unique individuals and make a name for ourselves. According to him, we need confidence and competence to lead others. As future young lieutenants, many subordinates and senior officers will challenge us. We must be confident in implementing our plans and principles so that others will follow. We must be competent enough to avoid criticism and efficiently lead our unit to achieve our goal.

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. - John Maxwell

Sir Tenorio also taught us to be clear about our purpose and make sure that members of our unit understand everything that we plan to do. Being a positive thinker will always lead you to a positive outcome in all your undertakings. If you allow negative thoughts to get ahead of you, it will never give you a positive life. You should also develop trust within your men so that no matter what you do, they will never doubt you and will support you head-on without questions. Also, be mindful of your time. It is most expensive, and you cannot afford to lose every second to triviality because every second you waste and every mistake you make will create a huge impact and permanently affect you. Being a leader is all about being trusted and having those you trust around you. You should have sound communication skills in order to effectively carry out your team's objectives. Growth is the only guarantee that tomorrow will get better.

It's up to you. The ball's in your court. Are you going to take it or leave it? But know this: you don't have to take the journey alone.[1]

[1] Start Your Journey - John Maxwell. (n.d.). In John Maxwell. https://www.johnmaxwell.com/start-your-journey/