I had no idea what awaited me. Absolutely beautiful, sprawling mountains and breathtaking coastal views. And penguins. It was consistently in the upper 90’s and low 100’s while we were in northern RSA and Zimbabwe. But while we were in the Cape it was sunny and in the low 70’s. Perfection!

As I interacted with leaders from halfway across the world one thing struck me. While there are certainly some cultural differences as you visit different parts of the globe, one thing remains the same. People are people. And leadership is all about people.

Languages may change. Cultural traditions may change. Government regulations may change. But in the end, people are people. Leaders lead people, not things. And leaders in many of the developing countries are dealing with many of the same challenges my clients and I are dealing with in the U.S.

The bottom line is that people can be difficult. Every leader has at least one person that is the most difficult to lead. This person may be male or female, young or old, but they are right in front of you. Look in the mirror. It’s you.

Self-leadership is, without question, one of the most difficult aspects of being a leader. Here are five quick tips I would suggest to more effectively lead yourself.

LEADING YOURSELF WELL

1. Lead yourself emotionally. Emotional intelligence (EQ) has become an increasingly hot topic over the last 20 years. EQ measures a person’s ability to manage their own emotions in a variety of situations as well as their ability to show empathy.

There are plenty of leaders whose downfall has resulted not from an inability to create an effective strategy or communicate a compelling vision, but rather from consistently losing their temper or their inability to demonstrate an appropriate level of care for their team members.

There are three things that capture the essence of EQ: Self-control, the ability to keep your emotions from clouding your judgment while not being emotionally detached, and the willingness and ability to gauge and effectively respond to the emotions of others.

2. Commit to planning and prioritizing. You need to do the hard work of defining what matters most. This is a discipline that comes easier to some and harder to others. Nevertheless it is indispensable to leadership and especially self-leadership.

I recommend doing this at least on a quarterly and weekly basis. I talk about this in much more detail in my book, “10 Ways to Get More of What You Want.” If you want to be in the advanced class you can add annual and daily to the mix, but quarterly and weekly should be the minimum. Once the priorities are established it allows you to do the next step well.

3. Set appropriate boundaries. Guard your time and your energy. Don’t let yourself get pulled around by everyone and everything else. You are the leader. As Henry Cloud says in his book, “Boundaries for Leaders,” you are ridiculously in charge.

As a leader you get what you create or allow. I often ask my clients two questions. What do you have to uniquely offer the business? How much of your time do you spend doing that? Most of the time the answer I get to question #2 is less than 50%. In my book that number should be at least 65% if not more.

The lower percentages are due to many things, but most often it is due to not setting appropriate boundaries. This is a lack of self-discipline and detracts from business getting its best from you.

4. Eagerly and regularly seek feedback. Getting consistent feedback from subordinates, peers and superiors is one of the most important ways to lead yourself. The reason is that we all have blindspots and the best way to find out what they are is to ask others.

According to leadership experts Kouzes and Posner, and confirmed by my own experience with companies, leaders rarely seek feedback, especially from subordinates.

To get honest feedback you will have to work hard and consistently at creating the types of relationships and environment that will encourage and foster it, which includes listening well and acting on the feedback you receive.

5. Pursue outside input and guidance. It is easy for leaders to get insulated and isolated. It is important to stay connected to a strong support system that exists outside the organization to prevent this from happening.

This could include an advisory board, a coach and mentors. The important thing isn’t the size of the support system, but the independence and quality of those that make it up. Be proactive and involve others who want to see you succeed and are willing to tell you what you need to hear.

We all have blindspots. Be hungry for feedback to identify and overcome them.

Question: Which tip can you most benefit from right away? Share your answer in the Comment section.

Seize the day!