“Don’t tow the easy road that tells you that difficult matters require special moments to discuss.”
Sometimes all you have to do is to be you. Being you is difficult because situations always interfere with the self. It is fine to blend in. It is beautiful to tow the path of great men. Honestly, it is awesome to be who you have to be. Speak if you have to. Don’t live in the horizon waiting for a beautiful day to appear. There’s nothing like a beautiful day until you create it.
Sometimes I get confused with some of the sayings from Confucius but there’s one that keeps me going – “It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop”. I do not try looking around watching what others may be doing.
Of course I’m mindful of competitor actions but I’m also happy about my action plans when they appear workable. It is all about direction and focus. Develop that attitude. In effect, keep going as long as you are on track. As hinted, focus means saying no to a thousand good ideas. Don’t get overly excited over nothing. You hold the keys to be happy or sad. Just be you!
There is one thing I discovered that built my confidence toward leadership development. Avolio (2010) hinted that leader development may occur in moments. They don’t occur in minutes, days or weeks. Live in the moments and develop in the flashes. George (2010) nonetheless believes that individuals can develop authenticity if they are aware of their strength and internal weaknesses.
If you fail to be you, there is the possibility of losing self-awareness as far as leadership development is concerned. It is good to take after people and teams but it is wise to be you when ‘you do you’. You do not have to necessarily get it right to be you. Sometimes jump in and be yourself. The spokes may bend at you but when you learn to be you, everything smiles back. It is fine if life keeps you swinging from one pole to the other.
If you learn to be you, you will definitely find your sweet spot to map a path. When people yell at you, just take the positives and bin the negatives while you learn not to repeat same mistakes. Sometimes you need people who love you to remind you of what you should be doing for yourself. It is not wrong.
Someone must keep you awake. When you learn to be you, you learn to do things and understand the patterns of life. When George (2010) proposed the five heights of authentic leadership to include values, relationships, heart, self-discipline and passion, he was pointing to one thing. If you want to be an authentic leader, do it yourself. Values are personal.
Developing passion and self-discipline are self-decisions. It is good to have mentors but let them shape you to be you. Just allow your personality to grow and experience the process. When you learn to appreciate the OCEAN model on personality types depending on your viewpoint, learning curve, personal development and life experiences, I conclude that there is always strength in any of the personality types. When you learn to be you, you will always develop your personality type to lead.
