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actions and behavior, and try to remain true to their values. Furthermore,
a continuous effort is made to discover their “blind spots” and then work
hard at bringing about needed change to be a more effective leader.

The willingness of self-directed leaders to be individuals who believe in
themselves makes them stand out from the crowd. This courage is what
allows them to pursue changes and to take on risk. It takes courage to be
completely honest with oneself and to persevere when everything seems to
be going wrong. However, courage to take a stand leads to enhanced self-

respect, which is extremely important to any leader.

Self-directed leaders don’t achieve this quickly or easily. It requires a
willingness to reinvent themselves if they see that it is necessary. This
reinvention comes about through an understanding of where one is in the

leadership development process, and then being fully convinced that the
achievement of positive personal attitudes, productive behaviors,
appropriate competencies, and soft skills are critical to leadership success.

Following that conviction has to be a commitment to seek out
opportunities to learn and grow. This requires making a conscious and

continuous commitment to one’s personal and professional development
and growth over time. This can and should include being very observant
of other leaders and refining their own competencies and skills based on
what they are observing. Targeted observation can provide a model of a
desired strength or help an individual who has a certain weakness better
understand his/her behaviors as they relate to this weakness by observing

others who have the same weakness.
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This learning process is not very effective unless a constant effort is then
made to incorporate what has been learned into the future experiences of
these leaders, and to create everyday opportunities for practicing what has

been learned. It should be emphasized that this journey is not a series of
stops with a final destination, and it isn’t necessarily easy. Instead, it
involves continual development that shapes and supports one’s evolution
as a leader, which is a never-ending process. Furthermore, past behavioral

92 RHR Executive Insights, “Self-Directed Leadership Development, “ Volume 20, #2.
http://www.rhrinternational.com/100127/pdf/ei/V20N2-Self-Directed-Leader.pdf.

David Kolzow 76