Thoughts from Principle #1–The Power of Self-Mastery:

• The fact is, all leadership begins with self-mastery.  You can’t lead others until you can first lead yourself.
• To truly lead, and make a difference in the world, you must always start with yourself.
• Leaders don’t interact with the world around them because they have to.  They do so because they want to.
• . . . those who lead effectively tend to view such circumstances as opportunities.
• The challenge for anyone is to make a life while making a living.
• Thinking helps separate the mundane things in your life from the significant.

My favorite section under this principle is under the subtitle, Motivation.  Mark Sanborn lists 8 ways to keep ourselves motivated:

1. Make time to reflect.
2. Remember to dream.
3. Mirror those who are successful around you.
4. Retreat to advance.–take time for retreats to review your life and objectives.
5. Mentor someone else.
6. Enjoy the journey.–take a moment to be grateful for what you have.
7. Live like a victor, not a victim.–we can learn from difficult situations or languish in them.  The decision is ours.
8. Search for the pony.–look for the pony responsible for all the manure.

This continues to stretch me in many areas of my life.  I highly recommend a copy of your own!!!

The book is a quick read but I am finding myself going through it slowly because it makes some great points.  Here are just a few I have come across so far:

• In today’s world, much is made of a person’s title.  Yet little actual power exists in a title alone.
• . . . influence and inspiration come from the person, not the position.
• When you do you job–any job–with initiative and determination to make a positive difference, you become a leader.
• The desire to influence the world around us is what real leadership is all about.
• . . . leaders, untitled or otherwise, realize the extraordinary impact they can have on others and the world around them.  They consciously choose to exercise their abilities, skills, and knowledge to help make a difference.
• We spend so much time worrying about our kids being good–not breaking the rules, getting into trouble, and basically behaving–that we often forget to invite them to be great.
• . . . true leadership is “an invitation to greatness that we extend to others.”
• Real leaders bring the same commitment to excellence to whatever they do, whether on the stage or behind it.
• . . . fame is based on what we get in life, but true greatness is based on what we give in life.  It is contribution through action.
• Genuine leaders make things better not just for themselves but for others, whether or not their contribution results in financial reward or popular recognition.

I will be posting more insights as I continue my journey through this book.  In the meantime, perhaps you can pick up a copy yourself and begin stepping out as a leader.