One of the essential things to being an effective Leader is to lead yourself first. You cannot have a leader who cannot lead themselves. You cannot pastor if you cannot pastor yourself, you cannot usher if you cannot usher yourself into a place of peace, you cannot be a worship leader if you cannot lead yourself to worship God whether you feel like it or not, you cannot be a house group leader without your own house in order, you cannot be the treasurer of a church if your own finances are not in order, you cannot preach to others if you cannot preach to yourself and encourage yourself in the Lord.

I am meeting more and more leaders who want to lead others without leading themselves. They want a platform to influence others, but their own life is lacking. The word for that, according to the Bible, is hypocrite. You cannot stand on the platform spouting this and that, then come off the platform and be sulky, rude, belligerent, indifferent to the things of God. That is not how we should be as leaders. Not in the slightest. People are watching and they want to know if you are leading yourself.

Here are some keys to help you become a better leader of yourself:

1. Develop a better relationship with yourself. When it comes to leading others, at some point good leadership advice will be build a better relationship with the people you are leading. It’s the same with yourself. Get to know yourself. What are your strong points, what are your weak points, when does temptation get you. Learn more about yourself.
2. Encourage Yourself. If you are a leader, you are encouraging people. If you are a pastor, you are encouraging people in the Word, if you are a worship leader, you are encouraging people to worship, if you are an elder, you are encouraging people to relate to the Word. So, start with yourself. Encourage yourself in the Word, encourage yourself to worship, encourage yourself to give. Be in church, be in a living church, go to conferences, be a reader, listen to sermons. Build yourself up!
3. Challenge Yourself. One of the most powerful parts of leadership is to challenge the people you lead. Do it to yourself. Challenge yourself to have a positive attitude no matter what is going on around you. Challenge yourself to walk with God and reflect His goodness no matter what is happening inside you. Control your thoughts, harness your emotions and dominate your reactions. 
4. Don’t over-push yourself. Another piece of good leadership advice is not to put too hard a burden on the people you lead. Do the same for yourself. Make sure you get a Sabbath every week, don’t just focus on your leadership life, but make sure your family and friends are part of your routine. Spend time with the Lord, spend time relaxing too. Evaluate where you spend your time and be willing to make changes.

The more you lead yourself effectively, the more others will be keen to follow you. Selah.