Trailhead Thoughts
“The first and best victory is to conquer self.”
- Plato
Trail Map - Learn. Think. Act. ™
Leadership Starts with Self
📚Learn
Before we can lead others, we need to look in the mirror and ask, how am I leading self? Let’s start with my simple definition. Leadership: How we move forward.
If you agree with the definition, then ask this question - “How am I moving forward?”
This involves knowing where we are, where we want to go, and how we plan to get there. Leadership is about progress, problem-solving, and clear communication.
It’s not a title - it’s an act of service.
Click the image to watch our YouTube Video
🤔Think - Reflect on Your Own Leadership
Are you clear on your goals/objectives?
What is your process for handling challenges or making decisions?
Do you take the time to understand your own strengths and areas for growth?
🔎 Reflection Prompt: Self awareness is the first step in leading well. What are your current leadership gaps?
Give yourself a score of 1 to 5 (try to avoid middle of the road 3’s), for the following leadership skills:
1 - poor, 5 = excellent
Communication 1 2 3 4 5
Problem Solving 1 2 3 4 5
Decision Making 1 2 3 4 5
Achieving Results. 1 2 3 4 5
💪 Act
Self Assess: Take a moment to reflect on where you are now in your leadership journey
Set Clear Goals: What’s your next destination? Make a plan for moving forward. (if you need help with goal-setting, check out the G.A.M.E. plan.)
Apply a Leadership Skill: Focus on improving one area - communication, decision-making, other and be intentional about practicing.
Beyond the Trailhead
Start Your Leadership Journey
Leadership Starts with a Mirror
James Kerr wrote in Legacy:
“Leaders create leaders.”
I’ve always believed it goes a step further:
Leaders BUILD leaders.
Building is an ongoing process. It doesn’t stop.
It’s adjusting, iterating, refining, and sometimes tearing down and starting again.
And it starts with one simple thing: a mirror.
The Center of the Leadership Wheel
“If you’re looking for leadership, start with a mirror.” - Mike Simmons
This isn’t a buzzword. It’s a philosophy, my philosophy - and the center of everything I’ve learned over 50+ years.
At the center are three parts of self:
Self-Awareness
Who are you?
What do you want?
Who do you serve?
What problems do you solve?
What gives you energy?
What drains you?
Simple questions. Not easy answers. And, your answers will change over time. Reflection is the key.
Self-Confidence
I think of confidence like this:
Confidence = Trust x Awareness
Do you know what needs to be done?
Can you do it?
Where have you done it before?
Awareness plus trust in your own ability builds confidence.
Self-Worth
This one took me longer to understand.
When self-worth is low, imposter syndrome creeps in. And that’s when leadership falters. To check yourself, ask:
What are my values?
What do I value?
What value do I bring?
What impact have I made?
Pause and Reflect
Think of a time when you failed as a leader.
Was it a reaction caused by low confidence?
A perception shaped by low worth?
Or a blind spot from lack of awareness?
Only you can answer that. And the answer starts in the mirror.
Next week:
We’ll look at the five foundational skills every leader needs to build once the center is strong.
Question for you:
What part of self (awareness, confidence, worth) needs your attention this season?
Voices from the Trail
Meet Mike – founder of Find My Catalyst
In this episode of The Find My Catalyst podcast, Mike returns to the root of leadership: self.
He guides listeners through the essential inner work of leadership - self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-worth - and shows how these form the foundation for developing critical skills like problem-solving, decision-making, communication, and execution.
Listen to this episode on Spotify
That’s it for this week.
Keep putting one intentional step in front of the other - the view gets better and better as you climb.
The Find My Catalyst Team