Be Your Own Leader First

I was asked the other day of what I thought about various types of leadership and how they corresponded to personal growth, within the general confines of the gym but also in the world at large.

Personally I prefer to lead by example, since you cannot expect someone else to carry a torch you have handed them any further than you have brought it yourself. By this I mean your expectation of others should not be any higher than what you expect from yourself and display on a daily basis. A few examples come to mind;

The Critical Mass cycle group has very lofty ambitions and noble goals. However, having witnessed this somewhat regular venture a few times left me disheartened. No one will argue the goals of reduced fuel consumption, cleaner air, and overall environmental benefit are not worth pursuing. However, when upwards of 5000-7500 people take the streets at once, aiming to cause crippling gridlock during rush hour traffic I was appalled by several glaring holes in rationale; lack of bike helmets, complete disregard for traffic signals and cars (apparently the laws do not apply to the environmentally self righteous) and the immediate cause of hours worth of idling... Negating any possible benefit they were hoping to impose. Right idea, wrong implementation. If you want to hold society to a higher standard, be the first to display the behaviour.

I recall a client asking the best way she can push herself on weekends when running longer distances by herself. She had the right motivation, but when hitting the wall on her run, she needed someone to push her through the difficult phases. I asked her if she had tried coaching herself, and after a confused look, explained my own personal approach; When faced with a difficult exercise or moment of mental/physical weakness, I think of myself as a client, and what I would say or do to coach that client through those moments. Realistically, its a minor degree of seperation in your mind, and while it isn't perfect, being able to lead myself through those periods the way I would lead someone else is how I have managed to become my own coach. If I expect my clients to trust me and follow me through the times we are together, I need to be able to trust myself and my own coaching to truly call myself a leader. Is it as effective as having a second person there? Probably not to the same level. Has it helped me reach new levels and hold myself to a higher standard?Absolutely.

Talk is cheap, as are half-hearted actions and knee jerk solutions to problems in society or in personal life. Though our intent may be pure and our aim true, the impact and effectiveness of our message is rooted in the source. Be your own leader first. Become the change you wish to see in the world. Set the standard as high as YOU can place it, then use yourself as the example to pull others up. Anything else is simply hot air, idling away for others to fume about enmasse.

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Luke Purm