Being a manager and a leader is not about how you lead, recognize talents in your company, and motivate your team. It is not about your management skills, techniques, hacks, and amazing tactics.

This is only a small fraction of it.

Being a good manager means being capable to understand. To understand why you behave the way you do. To know which beliefs shape your convictions, actions and how do they affect your management style. What values shape who you are and how they affect your performance.

Being a good leader is first of all understanding yourself.

Only when you completely understand yourself, know your skills and weaknesses, when you are open about it and you accept your own vulnerability, only then you create a solid basis to become a fantastic leader.

Without understanding yourself it is impossible to understand other people, team, your business partners.

When you are not willing to accept your weaknesses or you are even unaware of them…

When you do not understand that results are direct results and your responsibility…

When you do not know these basics you may be tempted to blame others for possible inefficiency and challenges that may come your way.

All starts with you and once you understand this, you become unstoppable. You become a leader. 

Therefore next time when you will be leading a team, leading a project, leading a change… first start with yourself and ask yourself, “how can I become a better version of myself?”