Michael Jordan is a high-profile example of what is possible when an individual decides to lead himself or herself.

Jordan may appear to be a god to many of his worshipping fans and supporters, but he is as human as the rest of us.

What makes Jordan an enigma goes far beyond the fact that he is possibly this planet's greatest basketball player. What makes him an incredible role model—not just for youth but for all of us—is that he has painstakingly developed the skills to lead himself.

It is now common knowledge that he was not good enough to make the team in his sophomore year in high school. How he dealt with the disappointment of being cut from the team gives us an early glimpse of what learning to lead oneself looks like in the embryonic stages.

Rule number one in personal leadership development is: When life knocks you down, get busy on a plan to get up. Getting up, however, is difficult if you do not give yourself a compelling reason to get up. That reason must come from your very core. Reasons to stand against overwhelming odds come from who we are deep inside.

Next. to further develop leadership over oneself, it is imperative that each of us cease looking to others to do for self what self is capable of doing.

The third trait of those who exercise commanding leadership over themselves is that they insist on setting their personal standards higher and higher.

They know that true success lies not merely in defeating the competition; true success lies always in outdoing one's former self.

In order to constantly set higher and higher goals and to surpass each preceding goal, one must exercise daily discipline over oneself. It has been written that none of us can afford to lose in this ongoing battle with self.

And, finally, those who exercise visionary leadership over themselves stay focused on where they are headed. Leading a team that suffered injuries, suspensions, and a few embarrassing losses, Jordan, entering the finals, led himself with the powerful affirmation:

"We can win another championship with what we have."