Leadership from the inside

Personal leadership is about taking responsibility for who you are, the actions you take, and the actions you don’t take. It is the opposite of the “not me” cartoon character in the old Family Circus strip by Bill Keane who always denied responsibility. Personal leadership requires each of us to look inside ourselves and take full ownership of our decisions.

Developing our personal leadership also involves looking inward, asking questions, assessing where we are and making a plan to move forward.

Joelle K Jay has developed a Personal Leadership Quiz that you can use to identify opportunities to grow and strengthen your own “personal leadership IQ.”  Analyzing your results provides direction and a starting point for action. My responses to the quiz reminded me of the importance of my professional network and prompted me to make a few phone calls and set up some informal meetings.

We all have different areas of personal leadership where we excel and struggle. Taking action to focus on your own inner development is crucial for success in today’s organizations.

Todd Thorsgaard

Joelle K. Jay, Ph.D., is an executive coach specializing in leadership development. She strategizes with business leaders to enhance their performance and maximize business results. She is the author of The Inner Edge: The 10 Practices of Personal Leadership. For a free Executive Summary of The Inner Edge, visit: www.JoelleKJay.com or e-mail Info@TheInnerEdge.com.