Introduction to Leadership
On this page 4 headings
Start here When you point one finger at someone and say “You do it!”, look at your hand. Three fingers are pointing back at you. Leadership starts with you.
Three parts of this week
This week’s leadership lessons have three parts. All three start with leading yourself.
| Part | Lessons |
|---|---|
| 1. Lead yourself from within | Uphold your core values · Know your spheres of responsibility · Exercise your power of choice · Take responsibility/ownership for yourself · Play to your full potential · Invest in yourself |
| 2. Lead yourself to lead others | Cultivate a growth mindset · Manage your time and energy · Focus on the one thing · Communicate effectively and listen actively · Be emotionally resilient · Embrace change · Manage conflict · Delegate effectively · Be a collaborative leader |
| 3. Lead others to lead themselves | Make work worthwhile and important · Put individuals in charge of their goals · Cheer each other on |
In one line: Leadership starts with leading yourself, then others, then helping others lead themselves. Exam words: lead yourself from within, lead yourself to lead others, lead others to lead themselves.
What the professors said
Lt Col Jayakumar: Leading yourself from within matters at every level of a hierarchy. The lesson that stands out most is taking responsibility and ownership for yourself.
Prof. Sivakumar:
- When we point at others, more fingers point back at us. Leading starts with us. Once we are ready, a leader is born.
- When you lead yourself, you become the example. Then it is easy to pass those qualities to others.
- Leading yourself from within also builds empathy — being sensitive to what others feel.
Prof. Prasanna:
- Don’t try to become a leader. First express yourself fully and become yourself. That journey makes you a complete leader.
- You can only lead others as far as you have led yourself.
- “True leaders create more leaders,” not followers.
Prof. Kartic: True leaders inspire others to become leaders. They don’t chase followers — followers come automatically.
Everyday example A class monitor who comes on time, studies well and helps others doesn’t need to shout “Be quiet!” Students copy what she does. She leads by being the example.
In one line: Be the example first; true leaders build other leaders, not followers. Exam words: starts with us, empathy, true leaders create more leaders.
Common leadership challenges
| Challenge | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Micromanaging | The leader keeps correcting every small thing. | Trust people to take responsibility and correct themselves. |
| Zero error syndrome | The leader expects a perfect result with no error. So they don’t delegate, or keep interfering after delegating. | Delegate and let people work. |
| Responsibility without resources | People get a job but not the authority or resources to do it. | Empower them — give responsibility with authority. |
| Unclear roles | Two people step on each other’s toes. | The leader must define roles and responsibilities clearly, and create understanding where roles overlap. |
| Personal vs professional life | Problems at home affect work, and the other way round. | Good leaders manage both well. |
In one line: Trust people, give them authority, define roles, and don’t chase perfection. Exam words: micromanaging, zero error syndrome, empower, authority, roles and responsibilities.