Personal Development
Self-Leadership: The Day My Housekeeper Became My Guru
By Diana Muhairwe
" Wake up early, work out, journal, conquer your day." I had read this in countless personal development books. I had preached it to friends. I had envisioned it as my new reality.
Yet, on one fateful morning, I was humbled; not by a high-level executive, not by a TED Talk speaker, but by my own housekeeper.
It all started with my grand resolution to master self-leadership. I had spent the night before immersed in wisdom from * The 5 AM Club * by Robin Sharma, convinced that I was about to unlock the next level of my potential.
I made a declaration to my housekeeper: " Starting tomorrow, we wake up at 5 AM. Success is for the disciplined, and we must be ready!"
She nodded, her face unreadable. I imagined she was impressed. Inspired, even.
The next morning, 5 AM sharp, I heard sounds from the kitchen. Dishes clinking, water running, movement. My housekeeper was awake. She had taken my words seriously.
I, on the other hand, was locked in a fierce negotiation with my alarm clock. " Ten more minutes." " Five more." " Maybe I’ ll start this self-leadership thing next Monday."
By the time I finally emerged at 7:00 AM, still sleepy and disoriented, she had already completed a full morning’ s worth of tasks. House cleaned. Breakfast ready. Laundry in progress.
I stared at her, then at myself. The realization hit like an ice bucket challenge. Hehe … I had been out-disciplined in my own leadership challenge.
The Moment of Truth
That day, I buried myself in leadership material, desperate to understand why I kept failing to lead myself. And then, I stumbled upon The Law of intentionality by John C. Maxwell. That one law changed everything:“ You must be intentional about growth.”
Growth doesn’ t just happen. You don’ t wake up disciplined. You * decide * to be disciplined.
I saw it clearly now that my housekeeper had built habits. I had built excitement. She had a system. I had motivation.
She was doing the work. I was talking about the work.
Discipline isn’ t about what you want to do; it’ s about what you commit to doing, even when you don’ t feel like it.
The Leadership Shift
That moment changed me. I stopped making dramatic declarations about discipline. I stopped waiting for motivation to kick in.
Instead, I started small. Waking up 10 minutes earlier. Then 20. Then 30. No more massive transformation overnight, just consistent, tiny shifts.
And over time, something powerful happened. My energy improved. My focus sharpened. My leadership influence grew, not just over others, but over myself.
The world is filled with talented people who never rise. Not because they lack skill. Not because they lack ambition. But because they lack * self-leadership *.
If you can’ t lead yourself, how will you lead your business? Your team? Your dreams?
So, I challenge you: ** What’ s that one habit you’ ll commit to, no matter how small, to strengthen your self-leadership?**
Because at the end of the day, success isn’ t built in one grand moment, it’ s crafted in the quiet, consistent choices you make when no one is watching.
The world is filled with talented people who never rise. Not because they lack skill. Not because they lack ambition. But because they lack * self-leadership *. If you can’ t lead yourself, how will you lead your business? Your team? Your dreams?
As Plato once said, " The first and best victory is to conquer yourself." Because self-leadership isn’ t just a skill, it’ s the foundation of every great achievement.
Diana Muhairwe, the CEO Bluhen Solutions Limited, is a Certified Maxwell Coach, Speaker, Trainer and DISC Consultant. You can commune with her via mail at: Bluhensolutions @ gmail. com.
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