The Power of Self Leadership By Kimberly A. Ferguson

In August of 2019, I rolled out the “Ready, Set, Lead” workshop series during LEAD WEEK in Queens, NY at a leadership conference for New York Edge. I introduced the series there because the conference planners and I recognized that self-leadership was an important topic; and in our combined experiences, we saw the incredible power and impact that true Self-Leadership has in the workplace.

What I didn’t realize was that the introduction of this curriculum would create a ‘movement’ of sorts in the workplaces that I visited; that it would shift the thinking and the approach of employees and leaders; that it would encourage people to not only evaluate themselves, but to regulate behaviors that were having a detrimental impact on individual and team productivity.

So, what is self-leadership? Self-leadership is intentionally developing a sense of who you are, your competencies, and direction. It is about your ability to strategically lead yourself; and involves managing your emotions, your interactions with others, and your behaviors on your way to achieving your goals.

I believe there are 3 key steps that each of us can take, as we embark on the journey to more meaningful, intentional, and effective self-leadership. They are:

1. Embrace a Growth Mindset: We hear it all the time, but what does “Growth Mindset” really mean? Simply put, it is the belief that our skills and abilities can grow as the result of dedication and hard work; it is the ability to embrace creative approaches to improve one’s situation; and it encourages a collective effort. Growth-Mindset is a key component in self-leadership because it drives personal accountability. How can you begin to embrace a growth mindset?

• Try to avoid a stagnant or fixed way of thinking. Instead of approaching things from a “we’ve always done it this way” state of mind, think about ways that processes can be improved. 
• Explore ways that you can develop personally and professionally. There are a number of resources available at your fingertips (from free webinars to e-learning courses) that can help you in your personal and professional growth. 

2. Incorporate Mindfulness: In my previous blog post, I mentioned the importance of presence, and mindfulness allows us to stay present. In Self-Leadership, mindfulness is an important strategy because it teaches us to be more emotionally intelligent.

Mindfulness forces me to continuously pay attention to what I am feeling, how I am conveying that feeling, and how others are responding to that feeling. If through this mindfulness practice, I recognize that my actions are counterproductive, I can embrace a growth mindset and start to take the steps to improve. Mindfulness encourages ongoing self-development through self-awareness.

Practice Thought Awareness: I use thought awareness across different training topics -- from emotionally-oriented stress management to communication training – in order to help clients transition to a more positive way of thinking. Thought Awareness is a technique through which you observe your thoughts in a deliberate way, and evaluate them. The process encourages you to combat negative responses or misinterpretations, and search for more rational ways of seeing things. I encourage clients to participate in positive thinking exercises, including but not limited to developing a positive personal mantra, or creating and practicing positive affirmations.

Self-Leadership is a critical element in your personal and professional development, and employing the above techniques in your daily work strategies is a great start to becoming more intentional about your contributions and more effective in your role.

Website: www.kfergspeaks.com

Twitter: @kfergspeaks