NSLS Blog | News, Articles & Information for Students

The 9 Steps to Leadership Success Part 1

Written by The NSLS | January 3, 2022

TRANSCRIPT

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Success and effectiveness are of paramount importance for every leader. Globally, organizations and society depend on these pinnacles. Stedman Graham says that success has everything to do with living authentically and with personal accountability. People today have never had a greater need for these attributes. In response, Stedman has developed a leadership program built on his Nine Step Success Process©.

What Is Identity Leadership?

Stedman believes that you can’t lead anyone until you lead yourself. That’s the foundational principle behind his work as an educator and speaker. He calls it “Identity Leadership” and says it’s the highest order of leadership. Through a process of self-discovery and development, Stedman created his Nine Step Success Process©. This program empowered him to overcome past self-esteem issues and build confidence.

Identity Leadership is an approach that can prepare anyone for the kind of leadership skills that are required today. Those skills include growth from self-awareness, streamlining our intentions, and leading ourselves responsibly to overcome obstacles. As a result, we become more successful in leading others.

How Does “Equality” Figure into Identity Leadership?

As Stedman was working through his own discoveries, he reassessed two societal constructs that often leave many feeling displaced:

  1. Race-based consciousness. In his youth, Stedman thought that a person’s destiny and opportunities for success were based on the color of their skin. REALITY: He discovered the main reason people don’t attain success is because they don’t know who they are. Race may be a way that people try to put you in a box, but it’s not your identity.
  2. Gender-based consciousness. Often, women are taught it’s a man’s world and that they’re disadvantaged. REALITY: Whereas Stedman understands that sexism exists, he's also learned that women have a greater chance of rising above such adversity when they know who they are; their strengths, vulnerabilities, and their true potential for success.

Everyone Has 24-Hours per Day, but…

Every person needs to carve out their own path by becoming an expert in their given field. Stedman says this can happen when a person learns to process and organize information in a way they can digest. That’s how they can empower themselves and that’s where equality is found—every person has the same 24-hours per day. The question is, what are each of us doing with them? 

This is especially important for college students. When students are able to develop a plan for learning, applied to their own desires and circumstances, they can adapt everything they’re taught to serve their future. Stedman’s process enables each individual to discover a way to build and improve their own existence, independent of how the outside world tries to define them.

Listen to this episode to learn about...

  • [00:53] Why Stedman wrote the book Identity Leadership
  • [03:51] How Stedman faced a world of inequality 
  • [06:06] How your passions can define your purpose in life
  • [08:42] How to overcome “Imposter Syndrome” 
  • [10:37] Why you are not your circumstances; you are your possibilities
  • [13:30] The importance of empowering yourself

Listen to the bonus episode to discover the power of adapting to change and the importance of staying aligned with your vision.

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