My Inc. article today, “The Simple Reason to Learn to Lead Yourself First,” begins:

The Simple Reason to Learn to Lead Yourself First

Leading others before you know your direction can lead you nowhere, or in circles.

Inc. readers love leading. We love learning to lead better.

Usually that means learning to lead others. Leading others sounds sexier.

In my leadership courses and workshops, nearly everyone prefers the exercises that lead others over ones to build self-awareness and self-leadership.

I recommend learning to lead yourself first. Here’s why.

Learn to lead yourself first

To see what happens if you learn to lead others first, imagine learning a foreign language.

Say it’s Italian. With dedication and practice, you learn the language. The natural next step is to spend time with Italians, eat the cuisine, visit the country, learn their history, and so on.

Now say you learn that you prefer Chinese cuisine, history, philosophy, and so on.

After learning Italian is a lousy time to realize you’ve invested years in learning skills that will take you away from your interests.

Read the rest at The Simple Reason to Learn to Lead Yourself First.