To Lead Myself In Greg Hastings's Leadership Lessons From West Point

To Lead Myself In the Third Chapter of Greg Hastings’s book Leadership Lessons from West Point – “You Must Lead Yourself First” he talks about three lessons he learnt in leadership during his time as a cadet – each at a different stage in his Cadet career. His first story talks about the time he got hours for participating in a spirit mission launched by an upperclassman in his company and how it taught him to lead himself while also following the lead of others. The next talks about his summer detail as a Platoon Sergeant and what he learned able being a good follower even while being a good leader. The third was about his job as company PDO and what he learned about motivating people to push themselves and invest themselves when they

You have to accomplish what is pushed down to you but you have to be able to see when there is room for discussion. There are times when you have to say no, but there are times when you want to say no and you just have to go. Learning to handle yourself in either situation and make the best of the conditions that will follow is the only way you can truly lead yourself. There are situations where it’s easier to just do what you are told then it is to make yourself do what you are told. But that is essentially what it is about. Being a follower doesn’t mean you have to be a blind follower. To think of yourself as a one man squad would be the best analogy. You aren’t controlled by those above you, you are just taking commands from them. It is up to you to process and execute what you are told.

When you ask yourself “Did I do anything wrong?” you should be able to say no. Inconveniences will come down on you but you have to be willing to take them and to push them down. Knowing that you can’t change things is sometimes the extent of leading yourself, because as long as you are aware of your actions and able to take responsibility for them you are doing what you have to do to be good to yourself, your superiors and your