Page 192 - HBR Leader's Handbook: Make an Impact, Inspire Your Organization, and Get to the Next Level

Innovating for the Future 181

6.

Leading Yourself

Successful careers are not planned. They develop when people are
prepared for opportunities because they know their strengths, their
method of work, and their values.
—Peter Drucker

Because leadership creates significant impact through the work of others,
we’ve devoted much of this book to what you need to do with and for your
organization. That’s not to say, though, that a focus on yourself is unimpor-
tant. Indeed, organizational impact ultimately rests with you, and if you
are not equipped to handle it, success will be hard to find. To lead others
successfully, you must also lead yourself.
In this chapter, we thus turn our outward focus inward, squarely at
you, the developing leader, to help you build your own personal impact in
your organization and in the world. As you progress in your career, what do
you need to know about yourself to lead? How best to learn the things you
need to know or practice the skills you need to master? What new opportu-
nities should you accept? In what ways do you need to change and adapt to
take more responsibility, while still remaining true to who you are? What