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The 10 Practices of Personal Leadership 

Being a leader is not the ultimate goal. To become an effective one is something more specific.

Before you start your “leadership” career, observe your reactions and see what you are doing wrong.

Who Should Read “The Inner Edge”? And Why?

Put “we” before “I”, let everyone see your inner edge. Many prominent personalities have recommended this book for each person who feels sturdy enough to guide other people in achieving mutual benefits.

We on the other hand, warmly recommend this book to those people willing to align their goals with the organizational ones and achieve a perfect working harmony.

About Joelle K. Jay

Joelle K. Jay is a trained professional who holds a Ph.D. in advanced learning and leadership abilities. Due to her role as an executive leadership coach, she met many prominent personalities from numerous companies.

As a writer, Jay wrote a few books including Quality Teaching and The Inner Edge.

“The Inner Edge Summary”

Ask yourself – Have I Lost my guts? As a leader, you’ll have to face the consequences of your actions. Every person has two critical two edges: your “inner edge” composed of inner values like determination, strength, plans, vision, goals, etc. This aspect of us known as the inner self, plays a pivotal role in defining a person’s character.

The other half is reserved for the outer environment or “outer edge. The external reality includes all the features that contribute to the making of a mindset. 

“ Actions speak louder than Words”.

Good decision-makers need to find the perfect balance between these two. However, that is easier said than done. It is challenging to conduct a comprehensive self-analysis without any particular goal in mind.

To justify your vision, you need to determine the amount of influence these two have over you. Most leaders regardless of their current professional standings focus on their outer edge – they interpret it as a symbol of success.

As you already know, we more often judge other people on what they do. The action takes the leading role in this dilemma, which according to the author it is not something you should build on.

Nevertheless, the seekers of real self-expansion understand that the only way to achieve full potential is by concentrating on the inner aspect as well – equally. This process requires detailed self-examination, including the answers to some “difficult” personal questions which reveal your abilities to be a real leader.

“Have you ever been given a task that would truly reflect your characteristics as a leader?” “

Do you have any particular goal in mind which defines you as a person? “How would you explain the word “success” in your opinion?

In spite of your answers you give to these questions, the only real improvement can be made inside or through the inner edge massive blow. Being a good leader is not something you learn, is something you are. Your actions are reflecting your inner-situation, if you behave in a way which irritates other people, regardless of your contribution to the company – you’re miles away from seeing with the eyes of true “leadership”.

Bossy attitude is the worst one of all, many managers today solve their problems by passing their anger on people working under them. A cowardice approach is leading to a total unproductivity and inefficiency. Don’t be impressed by outer edge activities; first thing first – deal with yourself.

A high-profile leader is “do or die” oriented, with a “can-do” not “must-do” mentality who take full responsibility for the operations. They compete indirectly with other leaders from other companies; their job is to make a difference. Any management related book places interpersonal skills at the top of the ladder.

People perceive things externally; they ignore the mental abilities to handle issues. Companies have troubles with productiveness; perhaps the problem lies within the motivation tactics that leaders apply.

Investing in your employees, yourself, kids are not something you should take lightly. All the benefits emerge from investments which in this case – are a part of one’s inner self.

See beneath the surface of failure, open the curtains of life and start working on yourself. Self-admiration and self-reliance are processes which can cause a lot of damage.

How to motivate others when you are not stimulating yourself? How to love others if you do not like yourself? Don’t look for a culprit in each situation. The ratio between action and know-how mentality is an essential element. Not every person can make his “Climb up” into the business world, but every individual can learn the values of proper leadership.

Key Lessons from “The Inner Edge”

1.      Put personal gain aside
2.      Create a win-win situation
3.      Identify your key goals

Put personal gain aside

Don’t ask for support if you are not willing to give yours first. Every team hates those arrogant leaders who expect much but give nothing in return. To attain personal growth, the support from your team is crucial.

Present yourself in a friendly manner, let them see your “inner edge”.

Create a win-win situation

Efficiency = Achievement more in less. You can interpret these two differently according to your company’s needs.

The understanding of real leadership takes time, effort and devotion. Manage your time by designing a schedule of activities.  

Identify your key goals

Before you start making plans; ask yourself – What makes me happy? Don’t skip this step, because people often don’t have a vision of what inspires them.

Get in touch with your dreams, commit yourself to them and receive the reward.

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“The Inner Edge” Quotes

Our Critical Review

This theory gives you a clue of how important your inner edge could be. Jay, the author of “The Inner Edge,” presents ten useful practices, leaders can adopt in order to achieve a critical integration between personal and professional life. We highly endorse its theory and believe in the idea.

Emir Zecovic

Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.