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, like many others, that is too often taken for granted. As it seems self-evident, many managers tend to overlook it or consciously disregard it in practice: i.e. they either under-use 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 by inflicting ill-health on themselves, and on the other by damaging 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.
