Why Are Smart Leaders Always Into Personal Development

If they’re being honest, most leaders don’t think they need personal development. They believe that what got them where they are will keep them there, and that the only things that really matter are how well they perform and how much profit they bring in.

In my work as an executive leadership coach, I regularly work with very skilled leaders who don’t see the value of personal development. They think they know everything they need to know and have nothing left to learn.

You may be great at growing a business, but if you aren’t willing to grow and change, you’ll never be an effective leader. You need to set an example of lifelong growth and learning through personal development. Here are just a few of the benefits:

Personal development can boost your self-awareness. Smart leaders pride themselves on being students of their own leadership. They’re always working to become the best version of themselves, because they know that the better they understand themselves the better they will understand the people they’re leading.

Personal development can help you harness your natural talents. The best leaders are constantly adding to their repertoire of leadership skills. They see learning and development not as a chore but an empowering process of harnessing their natural talents—a process that will not only motivate them but also inspire others. The core of their leadership is not striving to be a success but finding ways to be of value.

Personal development can help you leverage your weaknesses. When you know what your weaknesses are, you can begin to address them. You may want to hire a coach to help you pinpoint your weak spots and learn to leverage them, because it’s a difficult process. But it’s well worth pursuing—the time and effort you spend will pay off for the rest of your life.

Personal development can get you comfortable with being uncomfortable. If you tend to avoid taking risks, making hard decisions, and venturing outside your comfort zone, personal development can help you gain the confidence to confront these areas and improve on them. You can learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable—because leadership is about being uncomfortable but doing it anyway.

Personal development can make you a great role model. Smart leaders understand that to be respected, they first have to become the kind of leader who inspires and motivates others. And the best way to do that is to lead by example. Help your people find their own path of personal development by showing them how it’s done.

Personal development is an ongoing process of constant learning. It can help you in every area of life, not just leadership—but it’s especially important if others are relying on you to lead them.

Lead from within: To influence others, you first have to influence yourself.

#1 N A T I O N A L  B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

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