You Have the Choice

Self-Leadership Is a Choice

When I was in fourth grade, I had a friend named Tommy. Tommy had a habit of taking

wooden pencils, pulling them back with a rubber band, and launching them into the classroom roller shade, or sometimes the ceiling, trying to get them to stick.

It looked like fun, so I joined in. Until one evening, my teacher, who knew I had better sense (and better upbringing), made a phone call to my parents.

Let’s just say…I quickly found other ways to entertain myself after that.

Now, I could blame peer pressure. But let’s be honest, launching pencils into the ceiling isn’t exactly a life skill, and I knew better. Tommy didn’t make me do it. I chose to follow.

It was a small moment, but a clear example of self-leadership — or, in that case, the lack of it.

Self-Leadership Happens Every Day

The truth is, we make these kinds of choices all the time.We know what we should do — and yet, whether it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable, or just not fun, we often choose otherwise.

It’s a matter of self-leadership.

And if you’re not sure you agree, consider these everyday scenarios:

• There’s a speed LIMIT on the interstate. Do you stay under it, or creep a little faster, just not enough to get caught?

• You know you need a full night’s sleep to be sharp tomorrow. But your movie’s not over yet. Do you hit pause and head to bed, or stay up too late because “it’s just one night”?

• You understand the importance of regular exercise. But when something more fun comes up, or when you’re “too busy,” do you skip it and promise yourself you’ll start tomorrow?

Self-leadership is about the choices you make when no one’s watching. And it shows up in the small things just as much as the big ones.

Good Enough or Leading Well?

In many organizations, people do just enough to get by. I recently read a story about a manager who caught an employee playing a game on his phone at work. When asked why he wasn’t working, the employee casually responded, “Because I didn’t see you coming.”

It sounds funny, but it’s a reflection of a deeper issue.

Would you expect a high-performing organization to take a “good enough” approach with its people or customers? Of course not.

And as individuals in those organizations, shouldn’t we hold ourselves to the same standard?Not doing just what’s required, but what’s right. Not stopping at acceptable, but aiming for excellent. Not waiting to be told, but stepping up, helping others, and setting the tone.

The very best teams, leaders, and companies choose to be that way. And it starts with individual self-leadership.

My friend, John Maxwell says it well: “Lead yourself before you lead others.”

Choose Well, My Friend

You have countless choices in life, big ones, small ones, and ones you don’t even realize you’re making. Choose well. Because others are watching. And even if they weren’t, you are setting the example for your own best tomorrow.