The Leadership Quality of Self-Discipline: Growing on the Inside (part 1 of 2)

These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Numbers 33:1

We must make progress on the inside before we can make progress on the outside, because the journey of growth and success is first an internal one. The first person you lead is you – and you can’t lead effectively without self-discipline.

If only the Israelites had practiced this quality. Numbers chapter 33 provides a review of the entire exodus journey from Egypt to Jordan. And what a journey if was! Tons of manna. Lots of grumbling. And 40 years in duration to cover a distance that could have been accomplished in a few short weeks!

Why didn’t the Israelites get to the Promised Land more quickly? Obviously not because it was so far away. The real reason was an issue of attitude and preparation. The people simply weren’t ready for God’s blessing until 40 years had elapsed.
How about you? How is your self-discipline? Plato said, “The first and best victory is to conquer self.”

If you want to be a leader with self-discipline, follow these five action points:

1. Develop and follow your priorities. All leaders are pressed for time, but the successful ones have a plan (and stick to it!). If you can determine what a priority really is and release yourself from everything else, it will be much easier to follow through on what’s important. That’s the essence of self-discipline.

2. Make a disciplined lifestyle your goal. To be successful, self-discipline can’t be a one-time event. It has to become a lifestyle. One of the best ways to nurture such a lifestyle is to develop systems and routines, especially in areas crucial to your long-term growth and success. Once you have them, put them to use every day for the rest of your life.

To be continued…

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