If you search the internet for self leadership, the first several pages of results are links focused on how to motivate yourself to reach your goals. This kind of self-leadership originated from organizational management literature and focuses on self-control and self-management toward achieving your objectives. It can be a highly valuable capability to grow, to achieve success.
Problem is, over time it will take increasing amounts of energy to control the other parts of you that want to play, that want to relax, that want to wander around without a plan. These parts help with discovery, learning, rejuvenation. We humans are multi-faceted beings. Not only goal-oriented “doings”.
There is a different kind of Self leadership – accessing your core Self that is curious, open and compassionate. Not reactive, controlling or driven. Self has an inherent inner wisdom. Along with Self, we have parts of us that have a range of skills and capabilities, and different needs. Self welcomes all these parts, the full range of human experience. In the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, Self leadership is the capacity to recognize what different parts of us need and guide our parts to work together to contribute to the greater good of the whole, rather than struggle amongst themselves for control. The result is greater ease, more flow, and ability to adapt to changing circumstances because you have access to your full range of skills and capabilities.
