The first person a leader has to lead is themselves. That only works with self-discipline. That is why a leader's journey begins on the inside. The path to growth and success starts right there.
If only the Israelites had remembered this principle. Numbers 33 gives an overview of the entire journey from Egypt to the Jordan. Vast amounts of manna. Far too much grumbling. 40 years on the way. Why didn't the Israelites reach the Promised Land sooner? Not because it was so far away; they could have made the journey in two weeks. The real reason lay in their preparation. The people simply were not yet ready for God's blessing. Only 40 years after the journey began were the Israelites ready.
How does self-discipline develop?
It is fascinating what Plato already said about self-discipline:
The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself. To be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile. Plato
To be defeated in the struggle with oneself is nothing other than ignorance, just as mastery over oneself is nothing other than wisdom. Plato
If a leader wants to grow in self-discipline, the following aspects will help:
- They set and pursue their priorities.
All leaders are under time pressure, but successful ones have a plan. When a leader can determine what truly has priority and frees themselves from everything else, it becomes far easier to do what matters. That is the essence of self-discipline.
- They develop a self-disciplined lifestyle.
To be successful, it is not enough to have acted with self-discipline once. Lifestyle is what decides it. One of the best ways to develop such a lifestyle is to build systems and routines. This makes especially good sense in areas that are decisive for long-term growth. Once the new lifestyle is established, the leader puts it into practice automatically, every day.
- They question their excuses.
Excuses wear many faces and are bad for development. They distract and conceal the true reasons for failure. Leaders regularly question their own excuses and analyze them in depth. They face their own reality and the insights about themselves that come with it. They search for and find ways to take the next step of growth.
- They withhold their rewards until the work is finished.
If there is a lack of self-discipline, it may be because leaders are enjoying dessert before they have eaten the vegetables of the main course. Rewarding oneself too early for work not yet finished can invite complacency into one's life. For both the leader and the employees learn, in the process, that it can also be done without much effort and self-discipline. They start drilling at the thinnest spot. That is not good.
- They focus on results.
If a leader focuses more on the difficulty of the work than on the results, there is a danger of discouragement. The next time they face a challenging task, they must pay the iron price of success and shift their focus from comfortable to effective. Listing the benefits of doing so helps in making that decision.
Numbers 33
Stages of the Wilderness Journey
1 These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
2 And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD: and these are their journeys according to their goings out.
3 And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.
4 For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.
5 And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.
6 And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.
7 And they removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pi-hahiroth, which is before Baal-zephon: and they pitched before Migdol.
8 And they departed from before Pi-hahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.
9 And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they pitched there.
10 And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea.
11 And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
12 And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.
13 And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
14 And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.
15 And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.
16 And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibroth-hattaavah.
17 And they departed from Kibroth-hattaavah, and encamped at Hazeroth.
18 And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah.
19 And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmon-parez.
20 And they departed from Rimmon-parez, and pitched in Libnah.
21 And they removed from Libnah, and pitched at Rissah.
22 And they journeyed from Rissah, and pitched in Kehelathah.
23 And they went from Kehelathah, and pitched in mount Shapher.
24 And they removed from mount Shapher, and encamped in Haradah.
25 And they removed from Haradah, and pitched in Makheloth.
26 And they removed from Makheloth, and encamped at Tahath.
27 And they departed from Tahath, and pitched at Tarah.
28 And they removed from Tarah, and pitched in Mithcah.
29 And they went from Mithcah, and pitched in Hashmonah.
30 And they departed from Hashmonah, and encamped at Moseroth.
31 And they departed from Moseroth, and pitched in Bene-jaakan.
32 And they removed from Bene-jaakan, and encamped at Hor-hagidgad.
33 And they went from Hor-hagidgad, and pitched in Jotbathah.
34 And they removed from Jotbathah, and encamped at Ebronah.
35 And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Ezion-gaber.
36 And they removed from Ezion-gaber, and pitched in the wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.
37 And they removed from Kadesh, and pitched in mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom.
38 And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month.
39 And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor.
40 And king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.
41 And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah.
42 And they departed from Zalmonah, and pitched in Punon.
43 And they departed from Punon, and pitched in Oboth.
44 And they departed from Oboth, and pitched in Ije-abarim, in the border of Moab.
45 And they departed from Iim, and pitched in Dibon-gad.
46 And they removed from Dibon-gad, and encamped in Almon-diblathaim.
47 And they removed from Almon-diblathaim, and pitched in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.
48 And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.
49 And they pitched by Jordan, from Beth-jesimoth even unto Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.