Your Individuality Matters

Being a good leader is not a "one size fits all" type of position. It is not something you can just put on and become just by claiming it as yours. Being a good leader takes work, being a good leader requires commitment, and being a good leader ultimately comes down to you honing in on your individuality.

There are many different qualities that make up a good leader. Qualities such as: confidence, empathy, self-awareness, and courage. It is important as a leader to discover what qualities you have and to enhance your skills in those areas. One leader might be more naturally courageous while another leader might be more naturally empathetic; it is up to you to determine which quality (or qualities) you embody the most and use that to help you discover your individuality.

Finding your individuality as a leader can be a long, hard journey, but here are some tips that can help you along the way:

1) Find Your Purpose.

Once you find your purpose, it makes finding your individuality a lot easier. For example, if your purpose is to help others, the quality you are most likely dominant in is, empathy; if your purpose is to make things right, the quality you are most likely dominant in is, courage. Finding your purpose is ultimately finding what your overall goal in life is, what ignites a fire inside of you, and/or what you want to leave behind when you're gone. So once you discover what your true purpose is, you will have a better understanding of who you are and what you want others to see in you.

2) Do Not Let Your Upbringing Hold You Back.

We all have a different outlook on our childhood, whether it be good or bad. There may be some bad in the good and some good in the bad, but regardless of how you feel about it, do not let it hold you back from being who you want to be. We all have traits of our parents that naturally make up who we become, but that doesn't mean you cannot change or that you cannot grow into who you want to be. You are ultimately in charge of what qualities you strengthen and what qualities you push back on. So do not let your mind trick you into thinking you are as good as you're going to be, because that is not true. Find the qualities that make you stand out and utilize them every chance you get! 

3) Stay True to Yourself.

There will be times where you might feel persuaded to go against your true beliefs and/or where you might find an easier way out of something that does not hold true to your reputation, but do not let those times steer you off course. Finding your individuality as a leader and/or person is not an easy road, so allowing other things to get in the way or hinder you from moving along in the right direction will only make that road much more difficult. Stay true to who you are and what you stand for. Your people will respect you that much more.

4) Journal, Journal, Journal.

As a leader, it is hard to find time for yourself as you are constantly having to make decisions, deal with people, and/or be the face of the organization at various times, but making time to sit with yourself and your thoughts is paramount for discovering your individuality. As you use that time to pause, reflect, and focus, make sure you are journaling your thoughts and progress. When you write down where you are, what you're dealing with, and how you handle it, it will give you the chance to go back and see how far you have come and/or see what truly matters to you to help you discover the individual qualities you do possess.

So whether you are a leader or are aspiring to be one, do not allow yourself to think that you are not capable of something or that you are not as good as someone else. We each have our own attributes that not only make us who we are, but that distinguishes us from others. So use that to your advantage and once you fully embrace and actually live out those attributes in everything you do, you will become the best possible you and others will see it, too!

 - Dean