Get out of your own way

by Judith F Kennedy, PhD

The complexities of leadership are many. One moment you are a hero, the next you get blindsided by the neediness of someone’s ego.  One of the main purposes in starting this blog is to write about the different ways leaders can get tangled up in their own thinking. Also the purpose of this blog and my work is to help you stay grounded and insightful about the ways you get in your own way. Much has been written about the characteristics of leaders. There is only one point in which everyone agrees: Good leadership has willing followers.
To be a good leader is to know yourself and be the kind of person you would want to follow. Sounds easy, well it’s not. Psychological insight is in short supply especially when one needs it the most. How are you when you are being attacked? Do you just want to get even or maybe put that person on your black list? How you are able to handle yourself and not react is a hallmark of wise leadership. In order to do this you must be very, very honest with yourself.

My job is not to tell you the easy things but to respect you and help you see the hard stuff worth knowing. You can learn great rules of management and leadership in many places. It is a rare place that you can find truth about yourself.