Working on yourself makes it possible to accomplish your highest vision.

By Stedman Graham

As the world moves increasingly into the Information Age, knowledge and skills are needed — but these alone will not prepare people for true success in life.

When an individual has no clear understanding of their own purpose, information has no relevance.

Identity Leadership begins at the beginning — with the self. It recognizes that each person is unique. No two people have identical interests, talents, skills, or approaches. It is by defining, leading, and mastering yourself that it is possible to accomplish your highest vision.

Identity Leadership begins with recognizing that, “Until I take the leading role in constructing my life, all my potential cannot be realized.”

Identity Leadership follows the Nine-Step Success Process. Over several decades, this process has been shared with a vast spectrum of people, from school students to military leaders, from corporate executives to rural communities, from tech giants to developing nation policymakers. In each venue, the Nine-Step Success Process has infused new awareness and imparted new life skills.

Identity Leadership is a powerful adjunct to all forms of learning. Not only does it energize the learning process, but it allows people to naturally self-differentiate and to incorporate their interests, increasing relevance.

Why it Works

Empowering humans is key to better outcomes. Even with the highest capabilities in a society, an apathetic and disengaged population will self-destruct. Identity Leadership works on the core question for every person: Who am I? 

How does this affect learning? The typical educational system is heavy on abstract theories and memorization with little relevance to a student’s dreams. Grades alone don’t motivate. Something more is needed.

Identity Leadership works on the front end of the educational process. It enables the learner to self-discover and to find purpose. This awareness leads to a passion for mastering the information and skills that will support their personal goal. 

People want to have an enjoyable life, and Identity Leadership makes learning exciting and fun. It puts the individual in the driver’s seat of the educational journey. They become self-directed learners. They learn how to learn, and they become adept at managing time and resources. 

Identity Leadership is like a learning DNA. It is a clear matrix that orders and clarifies your priorities. Potential is the starting point; the dream is the endpoint. Learning becomes personally relevant. Difficult tasks become exciting challenges. Proficiency and mastery bring pride. 

Neuroscientists now describe the plasticity of the brain and how new thinking and habits can rewire the brain for amazing results. When someone’s passion and imagination are engaged, their interest and excitement come into play. Finding the solution to a problem becomes highly rewarding. The brain prioritizes learning because it is associated with the sense of satisfaction that comes with advancing toward your goal. 

Not only does this supercharge learning, but it counters negative and undesirable thinking. Depression, anxiety, learning blocks, and circular thinking can be eliminated when you become a self-directed individual. Highly engaged and self-managed individuals rapidly discern between what does — or doesn’t — bring them closer to their goals.

Exerting pressure on the student to learn (through discipline or classroom management) consumes much time and energy. Apathetic, disengaged learners who see no value in the instruction can discourage even the most dedicated educators.

In business, disengaged employees do mediocre work, affecting the products and services the customer receives — and eroding the company’s reputation.

In fact, throughout society such lack of self-direction generates loss. Without self-mastery, people can’t build strong relationships. Society is paying the price — in the breakdown of social structures that emerges from ignoring this primary step in human development. 

Identity Leadership provides a clear process to self-discover, self-realize, self-direct, and self-actualize to build a life that is optimal, sustainable, and rewarding. According to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, self-actualization is the highest form of human development. Identity Leadership is quite simply a process for becoming a self-actualized person.

Real-World Application

Incorporating Identity Leadership into any environment optimizes growth. Armed with purpose, aware of the value of the information, and incentivized by gaining a personal and relevant set of goals, the Identity Leader becomes a proactive, self-directed learner. It transforms the classroom into a collaborative learning environment. Instructors can focus on igniting students’ interests and facilitating their exploration instead of recordkeeping and enforcement. 

Identity Leadership transforms business environments. With a strong sense of purpose, team members take initiative, perform at their best, seek to improve, and deliver better products and service. They push the envelope, raising the standard in ways that add value to the customer experience — and the company’s profitability.

In personal relationships— and the civic arena — Identity Leadership transforms social interactions. Individuals of integrity and self-worth treat others with the same dignity and respect that they feel toward themselves. They encourage others’ dreams and development. They model desirable words, thoughts, and actions — influencing every life they touch. They self-manage and self-correct, becoming desirable participants in any social situation. Most of all, Identity Leaders live out their core values and principles in their daily activities, setting a standard of accountability and respect. A culture of value develops around each Identity Leader and spreads naturally. Identity Leaders enjoy natural authority because their words are matched by their actions, bringing positive results.

Identity Leaders naturally seek the triple bottom line of Profit, People, and Planet: 

• They prioritize people — self-value and others’ value.
• By managing resources and time well, they maximize profit. 
• They seek lasting, sustainable solutions and operate as good stewards of the natural world.
  

Identity Leadership develops merit, not entitlement. Excellence and continuous improvement become contagious, developing a success ethos. External barriers cannot withstand the power of the self-directed, self-motivated, and self-actualized person.

Freedom thrives where merit and diversity are both embraced. Identity Leadership celebrates the diversity of our human family, asserting that each and every person has the power to envision — and substantiate — a life of great impact. 

Society benefits when each person is both a contributor and a beneficiary. A thriving family, community, or country emerges when every person takes responsibility and receives benefit. Passive, alienated, discouraged, or excluded people cannot give — and don’t benefit — from the gifts available.

Building from the Core

Identity Leaders build from their core values using the tools, resources, and time at their disposal. These are the outstanding performers in any field. 

Social evils result from failing to build social good. Self-actualized people of solid character who enjoy their work, have fulfilling relationships, and are financially rewarded are not likely to fall prey to destructive choices. 

Identity Leadership works in all strata of society. It points the clearest pathway for the young and helps remedy missteps for those who may have floundered. 

Further, Identity Leadership enables real-world financial and economic skills, leading to self-sufficiency and freedom. 

Outcomes soar when human potential is released. Identity Leadership provides a new paradigm for each person’s self-defined and self-driven development. It maximizes human accomplishment and human relationships.

New Identity Leadership Course

Learn the importance of self-leadership and how to tap into your true identity to improve leadership skills, develop an authentic life vision, and master the tools and self-leadership process. For more about Stedman Graham’s nine-week, self-paced online course, visit stedmangraham.com/course-section.