Self Development as a Leader

Self-Development involves taking personal responsibility for one's own learning and development through a process of assessment, reflection, and taking action.   People define success differently. For some, success means having achieved financial security. Some people judge their success by the positive impact they have made on others whether these are clients, students, associates, or family. Other people define their success by achieving a level of expertise that is recognized and respected by peers. For me, success is a combination of the above-mentioned ingredients. You cannot define success as black and white because inevitably, some of the black leaks into the white leaving a gray area that requires consideration beyond black and white. For instance, perceptual acuity, being aware of your strengths, and emotional intelligence plays a significant role in achieving success.
“We react to a specific object based on what we see rather than on what it really is. Often we see only what we want to in a given situation. Similarly, how we react depends on what we hear, not necessarily on what was really said.” (Whiseenand)
Perception is reality. Seek to understand how people perceive you. You may not be achieving the impact you expected in leading or working with others. You cannot adjust your approach without the benefit of feedback that can inform you in terms of how your actions were received by others. I recognize that I need to work on relaying my intentions more accurately based on the feedback I have received. I need to be more open to, and appreciative of the feedback I receive, as opposed to be defensive. I need to seek to understand rather than to be understood.
We are all leaders to one degree or another. What sets great leaders apart is their ability to manage perceptions. What people observe or assess as your ability to be a leader and your effectiveness becomes their perception, which in turn becomes reality. Perceptions that are not managed become...