“We cannot lead others until we lead ourselves first. In order to lead ourselves first, we must know who we truly are through comprehending the Oneness paradigm.”

The irony is that many of us think we are leading ourselves, when instead, our egos, insecurities, and greed end up leading us. The essential prerequisite for leading ourselves is to discover who in us should lead what in us.

Shakespeare’s “To thine own self be true” is a wonderful admonition to us all. We get so caught up in this frenetic world that we lose sight of who we truly are. In life, we want to be accepted and included by our families, friends, jobs, and communities — so much so that we begin to behave according to the dictates and demands of those relationships. Consequently, the person we show the world is a facsimile, a mask, a role — not the real us. Acting as a facsimile, we find ourselves lost in a sea of external influences, and one day, we begin to feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled with life and work, with who we’ve become — we are no longer true to ourselves.

You already have residing within you all the skills of a true leader. Mahatma Gandhi did not see himself as a leader, and he never strove to be a leader. He did understand, though, that a true leader’s principles and values are not for sale, displayed only when others are watching, or adhered to when convenient. He lived his principles and values every day without wavering. Others gravitated to him, the resources of the universe gravitated to him, and he was no more special than anyone else.

That leader resides within you. All you need to do is unveil your true self. And remember, you can’t lead others until you lead yourself first — and you can’t do that until you unveil your true self.