Top o’ the Mornin’ to Ya!
TLDR: Discover how to close the leadership gap between your professional and personal life. Learn why authentic leadership means leading in all aspects of life – at work, home, church, and community – and how this complete approach silences the imposter syndrome voices telling you you’re not enough.
What?
I just sent Liz off on the bus. It’s her last day before spring break. Part of me feels like a horrible leader in my life, and I’m trying to catch up. So much of my life has been about leading, managing, working, working, working – being a workaholic without finding that whole life balance.
One reason I walk Liz to the bus every day is for that opportunity to spend quality time together, to lead my family well in life. There’s a saying: “Leaders got it made.” When I lead and teach my children, I don’t have to manage them.
But I’ve noticed a disconnect between my internal and external leadership. I was leading in software engineering, as a teacher, as a coach for many years – but I’d come home and not lead. It raised questions: Am I really a leader if I’m not leading at home? Am I leading my family, my kids, my wife? Am I leading at church and in the community?
Why?
Where is that leadership gap where we’re not our whole self? If we’re only leading half the time or a quarter of the time, are we really a leader? Are we wholly a leader?
When we find ourselves in positions where we’re leading all the time, we can quiet that internal dialogue that says, “You’re not enough, you’re not the leader, you’re not good enough. You’re just pretending, you’re a fake.”
The last leadership frontier for me was leading myself. I did things to look okay, to be okay, but it wasn’t complete. There were gaps in my leadership.
Lesson
True leadership means leading in all aspects of life, not just professionally. Part of leading is following well and learning well. As I close those leadership gaps (it’s not done, it’s a sanctification process), I’m getting better every day. That’s one of my mantras: “Better every day. What’s the best thing I can do right now?”
When you find yourself with voices in your head saying you’re not a leader, take a look at that. Reflect and journal about it. Write down where you’re not leading and identify your next step to become a stronger leader in that space.
Whether it’s with kids, family, or another area – get specific about it and work on one thing at a time. When I was ski coaching, we worked on one thing at a time. What’s the one leadership area you’re going to work on right now?
Apply
If you hear those internal voices saying you’re not a leader, take time to reflect on where your leadership gaps are. Write down specifically: “I’m not a leader in this area, and this is my next step to become a stronger leader in that space.”
Get specific about the area – whether it’s with your kids, family, or elsewhere – and focus on just one leadership area at a time. Ask yourself: “What’s the one leadership area I’m going to work on right now?” and share it below.
You be blessed.
The Leadership Gap: Becoming a Full-Time Leader in All Areas of Life
