Lead Yourself First: The Foundation of Personal Development and Leadership
A great leader sharpens the mindset, habits, and leadership skills that drive long-term success, in business and life. Whether leading a team or launching a startup, your growth is your edge. Leadership doesn’t end when the uniform comes off. It evolves.
The Mission Starts Within
“Before you can lead others, you must first learn to lead yourself.”
In the military, leadership training starts the moment you step into the Non-Commisioned Officer (NCO) role and sometimes before. The leadership role is the backbone of the military and you have probably heard this many many times over. But what some leadership don’t always say out loud is this: your first and most important command is you. The habits you build, the mindset you train, and the discipline you develop all form the foundation for how you’ll lead others, whether on the flight line, hospital, personnel office, gym or in a startup boardroom.
Leadership doesn’t begin with a title. It begins with ownership.
Personal Development: Your Daily Battle Drill
The best leaders are lifelong learners. They never stop sharpening their edge. Here's how I approached personal development, military-style:
1. Master Your Routine
Structure creates freedom. Your morning routine, your planning habits, and how you prepare for the day set the tone for everything else. You don’t need to fill every hour, you just need to command the first.
Tactic: Start your day with 10 minutes of silence, reading, or strategic journaling. Get out of the bed and hit the gym, stretch walk something but get up and make your bed trust me this works.
2. Audit Your Weaknesses (Without Ego)
In uniform, you know your readiness rating. Out of uniform, most people avoid that same level of self-assessment. Not you.
Tactic: Ask: What’s one skill I’m avoiding because it’s uncomfortable? Then pursue it. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable and watch yourself flourish.
3. Build in Feedback Loops
The debrief is sacred in military culture for a reason. Apply it to your life and business.
Tactic: At the end of each week, review what went right, what went sideways, and what you'll change. Reflection is a real thing so take the time to evaluate yourself and how things have gone through the week or daily. Journaling really helps here to track progress.
Leadership: It’s Not About You, But It Starts With You
Once you’ve taken command of yourself, that’s when real leadership begins.
1. Model the Standard
People follow your actions, not your advice. Show up early. Be the most prepared. Communicate clearly. Keep your word. You don’t need a speech you need consistency. As much as this sucks you have to work hard to be a great leader and that title isn't just given it's earned.
2. Lead With Clarity, Not Control
Give direction, not micromanagement. Set clear outcomes and trust people to find the path. Good leaders don’t create dependency, they create initiative. Empowering the people and team around you to accomplish the goals in front of you is the team everyone wants to be on.
3. Elevate Others
The mission isn’t just to succeed. It’s to lift the people around you while doing it. Whether you’re mentoring a junior troops or building a small business team, your role is to multiply their strengths and correct with care. Trust your people and set them up for success.
Where Military & Civilian Leadership Meet
Military leadership teaches you how to:
- Handle pressure
- Make decisions fast
- Manage diverse personalities
- Own mistakes publicly and fix them quickly
Civilian leadership rewards:
- Empathy
- Adaptability
- Creative thinking
- Purpose-driven culture building
Great leaders merge both worlds. They keep the structure and grit of service, while learning the emotional intelligence, collaboration, and agility demanded by business.
Your Next Move
Leadership isn’t a destination. It’s a discipline. One you commit to daily, through small decisions, difficult conversations, and the pursuit of something greater than yourself. Leadership isn't for everyone and you probably know this and have seen this in your career. Don't be a trash leader. Do it the right way.
So today, do one of these:
- Journal your leadership values
- Ask for feedback from someone you trust
- Read 10 pages of a book that challenges you
- Mentor someone one level behind you
