About this video

• Video Title: Great leadership starts with self-leadership | Lars Sudmann | TEDxUCLouvain
• Channel: TEDx Talks
• Speakers: Lars Sudmann
• Duration: 00:12:47

Overview

This video discusses the concept of leadership, arguing that true leadership begins with self-leadership. The speaker, Lars Sudmann, introduces a "leadership problem formula" (Time, People, Power) and explores historical and practical strategies for developing self-leadership through self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-regulation, ultimately aiming to achieve a "leadership utopia."

Key takeaways

• The Leadership Problem Formula: In organizations, friction, confusion, and underperformance occur naturally. To overcome these, leadership is required. The formula for leadership challenges is TLT (Too Little Time) x People x Power.
• Historical Inspiration: Marcus Aurelius, a Stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor, serves as an example of enlightened leadership, emphasizing the quality of thoughts and virtuous action.
• The Importance of Self-Leadership: Investing time in leading oneself is crucial before leading others. This involves self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-regulation.
• Self-Awareness Tools: Leaders can gain self-awareness by reflecting on the traits of bad leaders they've encountered and then honestly assessing themselves against those traits, creating a plan for improvement.
• Self-Reflection Practice: Dedicating a few minutes daily to reflect on challenges, leadership effectiveness, and how an ideal leader would approach situations can increase compassion and improve leadership.
• Self-Regulation Techniques: Reframing challenging situations by assessing their immediate importance on a scale of 1-10 can help leaders manage their reactions and respond more effectively.

Here are the answers to your questions, based on the video's content:

1. The video prompts viewers to visualize the worst leader they've witnessed and identify the specific behavior that made them seem like a bad leader. Examples mentioned include yelling, withholding information, or not being prepared.

2. Viewers are instructed to score themselves (1-5) on the characteristic identified in question 1. The video suggests this self-assessment can reveal areas where one's own behavior might mirror that of a poor leader, highlighting the need for change and skill development.

3. The video encourages reflection on upcoming leadership challenges and how an ideal leader would approach them. It prompts introspection on the steps needed to embody that desired leadership style, focusing on self-awareness, reflection, and regulation.