#1stresponders... Are You Able to Lead Yourself???

By Safe Call Now®'s Steve Gutzler

Some of my favorite conversations at conferences or workshop trainings for first responders is when someone asks me... "How do I become a leader?" OR "I don't have anyone to lead yet, how can I start?" My response is: "You are a leader! Start by leading yourself." 

You have to get to a place where you would actually follow yourself before you ask anyone else to follow you. I've been around dozens of positioned leaders who aren't very effective because they have not mastered the art of self-leadership. 

The key to leading yourself well is to learn self-leadership. 

If you want to gain trust and credibility from others, begin by focusing on the following principles...

Principle #1: 20/20/20

One of the biggest mistakes I see in personal leaders today is that they rush in to their day. Immediately their mind starts running fast. They jump into email, they slug down coffee, and ramp up their pace. 

I like to encourage leaders to start their day a little earlier and to start slow. Create a nice pace that sets the tone. You might not have a complete ritual hour, but even 20-30 minutes of soft music and clear focus to begin your day can have a big impact. My whole leadership effectiveness changed when I began to devote the first hour of my day to my 20/20/20. 

• 20 minutes of spiritual solitude
• 20 minutes of determining my "vital 3" for the day
• 20 minutes of reading personal development books 

I now recognize time as a gift and have tried to value my first hour the most. It starts a chain reaction of focus and prioritization.