Introduction: Self Leadership by Ryan Reed
I read Self-Leadership and the One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Susan Fowler. And I decided I wanted to learn more about the topic. So, I read Self Leadership: The Art of Becoming a Leader by Ryan Reed, and unfortunately, didn't like it that much. The book has lots of good information, but it paled compared to Self-Leadership and the One-Minute Manager. One thing I learned a long time ago, is that you can learn something from every book. In addition, Self Leadership by Ryan Reed is simply one book I'm reading on leadership. This allows me to get a broader perspective on the topic.
You have to first learn how to lead yourself before you can effectively lead others. You also want to ask yourself why you want to become a leader. Everything starts with your purpose, your why. The books have many exercises for you to do.
Here’s what the author has to say about where his knowledge of self-leadership comes from.
“I am writing this book to pass on the knowledge I have learned throughout my life that has gotten me where I am today. It comes from time spent in the military, time in the fire department, lessons from successful business owners, college, lessons my family and friends have taught me, countless books I have read and courses I have taken, and lessons I had to learn the hard way.”
Definition of a Leader
“Leadership is the ability of an individual or a group of individuals to influence and guide followers or other members of an organization. Leadership involves making sound (and sometimes difficult) decisions, creating and articulating a clear vision, establishing achievable goals, and providing followers with the knowledge and tools necessary to achieve these goals.”
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Summary of Self Leadership by Ryan Reed
Effective leadership is not about doing as I say but not as I do. People are watching you all the time. Do a self-analysis and look at the areas where you need to improve and do what’s necessary to become better. There are seldom any free lunches in life. Something may appear to be free, but when you look closer, there are associated costs. If you want something in life, earn it. Self-improvement is a key driver for becoming a better leader.
Push beyond your comfort zone, learn new skills, learn something new every day, and work hard at becoming more disciplined. To perform at a high level, or if you want to be in the elite at what you do, you have to be healthy. Exercise and don’t make excuses. I’m writing this for myself because I don’t want to go for my walks when it’s cold or raining.
You need physical exercise, but you also need mental exercise for your mental performance and well-being. Additional self leadership requires that you study your field. Learn everything you can about it. This may seem obvious, but most people don’t do this. I also recommend that you also study outside your discipline, so you come up with more creative ideas than your peers.
“Leadership is the willingness to step out of your own self-centeredness and into your massive potential through serving others….When leading, your people should have no question about what they are doing and WHY they are doing it.”
You grow the most when you’re challenged. As a leader, you’ll face many challenges, so it’s important to make sure that you’re challenging yourself all the time. Step up and resolve the challenges you face in life. When you constantly challenge yourself, you learn how to do hard things.
What activities can you engage in that will force you outside your comfort zone? Commit to one thing right now. Why did you choose this one thing? How will it grow and help you? When will you start? Discipline is one driver of success. Do the extra work each day. Discipline helps you to achieve your goals, and it also sets you apart from your peers.
Marine Corps Leadership: Traits and Principles
14 Leadership Traits
- Justice.
- Judgment.
- Dependability.
- Initiative
- Decisiveness.
- Tact.
- Integrity.
- Enthusiasm.
- Bearing (How you conduct and carry yourself).
- Unselfishness.
- Courage.
- Knowledge.
- Loyalty.
- Endurance.
11 Leadership Principles
For each principle, the author offers advice on how to develop them.
- Know yourself and seek self-improvement.
- Be technically and tactically proficient.
- Know your marines and look out for their welfare.
- Keep your marines informed.
- Set an example.
- Ensure the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished.
- Train your marines as a team.
- Make sound and timely decisions.
- Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates.
- Employ your command in accordance with capabilities.
- Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.
The following principles can be used in any sphere, not just by the marines. Analyze yourself as well as those around you. When you’re honest with yourself, you acknowledge when you make mistakes or fail. Back in the day, I took a course at university where I had to do a self-analysis then others had to analyze me.There’s often a gap between how you see yourself and how others see you.
When you analyze the people who surround you, look at the characteristics they display and also pay attention to their performance. When you give someone a task to perform, how do they respond? And when work is accomplished, do they take credit for work that others do? Or do they give credit where credit is due? These things tell you the true nature of a person. Don’t be that person who is jealous and take credit for other people’s work. Take the high road.
Once, someone tried to take credit for some of my best work. It backfired because the business owner didn’t take things at face value and did a check and found out it was my work.
- What type of leader are you?
- What are the things that you’re good at.
- What makes you uniquely you?
- What would you say are your best traits?
- What do others say are your best traits?
- What are your five best strengths and what are your five biggest weaknesses?
After you complete this self-analysis, ask your closest friends who will be honest with you to analyze you. Use the results to move forward.
Conclusion: Self Leadership: The Art of Becoming a Leader by Ryan Reed
Overall, I didn’t like Self Leadership: The Art of Becoming a Leader by Ryan Reed, and felt it didn’t have as much useful information for me as I would have liked. People who do not read as much as I do may find it useful. I’m reading a lot of books on leadership because I want to be a better leader. But I also want to write an article for Quartz, and it has to be at a certain level. There’s nothing in this book that will give me an edge, or help me be seen as a thought leader.
Perhaps when I stack the nuggets from this book against other leadership books, I’ll see something that I’m not seeing now.
Next Steps
- Buy and Read Self Leadership: The Art of Becoming a Leader by Ryan Reed
- Join the Art of Learning Membership Site
If you want access to Bookish Note Self Leadership: The Art of Becoming a Leader by Ryan Reed, which has more information than the above summary, please consider joining my membership site, the Art of Learning.
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