ABSTRACT
To succeed as a leader and manager you must master as, we have seen, a whole variety of different skills and competencies. There is one remaining skill, however, we have yet to consider; one that completes the full complement, and that is of course, how you manage yourself. This again is a skill which, like many others, is too often taken for granted. Because it seems self-evident, many managers tend to overlook it or consciously disregard it in practice, that is they either underuse the ability, or sacrifice it in the face of (apparently) more pressing concerns. This again is a grave error, for it can harm them both ways. On the one hand, they may inflict ill health on themselves and, on the other, they may damage their credibility in the eyes of their staff. The point is, you cannot expect to make a good job of managing other people and situations unless, and until, you can effectively manage yourself.
