Bold in Self-Leadership

Welcome to The Bold Brief—

You are a member of this community of top-notch expert nurses and healthcare professionals who aspire to be “bold” in career and life. We want to be bold in our life’s purpose, and bold in life and career choices to live with authenticity, balance, and meaningful challenges.

So, bold in self-leadership

Understanding Self-Leadership

Self-leadership is the practice of intentionally influencing your thinking, behavior, and actions towards your objectives. It involves self-awareness, self-regulation, and the proactive approach to leading oneself through life's complexities and relational dynamics.¹

The Evidence Supporting Self-Leadership

Self-Leadership is not a new concept. More than 40 years of research underscore the value of self-leadership, personally professionally, and the outcomes of one’s self-leadership on organizations.

Research underscores the importance of self-leadership in achieving higher personal productivity, enhanced job satisfaction, and overall improved well-being.² Individuals who excel at self-leadership are better equipped to handle stress, adapt to change, and guide their ow career paths as well as the paths for other with confidence.²

What the Evidence Means for Your Work and Life

1. Evaluate your emotions, thinking, and energy

2. Understand your use of time and words (to self, and others)

3. Explore your professional identity in relationship to your purpose

4. Examine your priorities

A Step-by-Step Guide to Cultivating Your Self-Leadership

Step 1: Develop Self-Awareness

Begin by understanding your personal values, strengths, and weaknesses. Reflect on how each influences your decisions and interactions. Tools like personality tests or journaling can facilitate this discovery.

Step 2: Set Clear Personal and Professional Goals

Goal setting is a topic far greater than a single step! But, let’s start here: Define what success looks like in only 2 or 3 various areas of your life (a) Love/Relationships, (b) Health/Physical, (c) Professional, (d) Wealth /Financial, (e) Self-Expression, (f) Intellectual/Emotional/Spiritual

Use SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) criteria to outline these goals, providing a clear roadmap for your actions.

Step 3: Manage Your Time Effectively

Implement strong time management strategies to take control of each day, week, month, quarter, and year. Remember to focus on only 2 to 3 tasks per day, slowly chipping away at your goals. Prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance; use tools like calendars or apps to keep track of deadlines and commitments. Hold yourself accountable.

Step 4: Cultivate Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Enhance your ability to understand and manage your emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of others. Techniques such as mindfulness, empathy exercises, and active listening can be incredibly beneficial here. 4 You can read more about EI in the references and the Bold Brief.

Step 5: Practice Self-Discipline

Strengthen your self-discipline by maintaining consistency in your efforts towards your goals. Establish routines that support your objectives and hold yourself accountable for sticking to them.

Why This Approach Works

Multifaceted Approach: This approach works because it is multifaceted approach to self-leadership works building upon the foundational skills needed to lead oneself effectively. Developing self-awareness and emotional intelligence helps in understanding and navigating interpersonal relationships, while goal setting and time management drive progress in complex situations. Self-discipline ties all these elements together, ensuring sustained action towards achieving personal and professional goals.

Conclusion

Mastering self-leadership is a journey that empowers you to lead an authentic, balanced, and fulfilling life, prepared to effectively handle complex situations, and maintain meaningful relationships. Start taking steps today to cultivate these skills and unlock your potential as a self-leader.

As we start this journey together, remember that each step you take is part of a larger transition toward a more satisfying career and life. We are here to support you with insights, advice, and stories of those who have successfully made this transition.

Remember, the bold career and life that you desire is not just a dream—it's within your reach. Let's make it a reality together.

P.S. If you want to learn from me on a daily basis, come connect with me on LinkedIn or in my Facebook Community. If you find this useful, please share with a friend or colleague!

This is a dedicated space for you, the nurses at the bedside and beyond, the committed healthcare professionals ready to explore transformative career paths beyond traditional roles. Every week, we'll dig into evidence-based strategies, insights, and stories designed to empower you to take bold steps toward a fulfilling career and life outside the hospital setting.

1  The self-aware leader. Link

2  Self-Leadership: A Four Decade Review of the Literature and Trainings. Link