At the place I work which is the Swan Youth Program in Cyril Jackson where I work as a classroom teacher for disengaged, disadvantaged youth we have a ‘No Crap’ Policy. Rather than a punitive policy it actually a program that rewards positive behaviour under the idea that students won’t start crap as long as no one starts crap with them. It’s a tentative truce of sorts that doesn’t always work but still reinforces good behaviour.

I only bring up the subject because I wish I had the same policy in some areas of my life, and how ironic it seems that the virtues we try to instill in our youth we still battle with in our adult life. It certainly is easy to blame others but the central premise of the ‘No Crap’ philosophy is simply one of personal leadership. I truely believe that the hardest thing to lead is yourself but t’s also the most important and rewarding.

Personal leadership is not only giving yourself goals and following through it’s giving yourself permission to be visionary and to envision something that many people will find hard to see. Personal leadership is about building a sense of character and certainty in a sometimes uncertain world.  I forget who said the quote but it was marvelous person who said

‘Character is doing something long after the motivation is gone’

I’ve noticed in myself that I go through spurts of being motivated and not, and then character rears its head and proves to me the mettle I am made off. Sometimes I am found wanting and sometime I inspire myself.

It seems that you can only ever control somebody superficially for a short period of time, but you can inspire people for much longer. And you can do that by first being a leader to yourself.