Personal Development & Leadership

Muhammad Nuruddeen Lemu Dawah Institute of Nigeria (DIN), Islamic Education Trust (IET), Minna, Nigeria

Improvement of self in all aspects of life

y Your relationship with Allah y Your mental and intellectual development y Your physical health y Your relationship with family, friends, neighbours y Your financial independence

and maximizing all of ones inner resources for the best in this life and the Hereafter. Hereafter.

Personal Development and Leadership is all about leading your life and not just managing it. Its about creating a signature you Version 2011. Its about being the driver...

Allah does not change the condition (blessings) of a people until they change (what is within) themselves (Surah Ar-Rad, 13:11)

The intelligent person is the one who calls his own Self to account and works for the Hereafter; and the incapable is one who follows his desires (without any control over it) and then depends on Allah Allah (At-Tirmidhi) (At-Tirmidhi)

Metaphor: Health Care System

 Effect: Sick person (repeat patient) Effect:  Causes: Causes:
 Germs and weak immune system (internal factors) Clinical Medicine  Water, weather, air, hygiene, nutrition (external factors) Public Health

 Which one matters the most????

PsychoPsycho-Spiritual Health
 Effect: Unethical, criminal, or immoral behaviour (repeat Effect: offender) sick heart  Causes: Causes:  Internal factors: Weak faith, ignorance, timid, silly, greed, anger, poor self-control, etc. Taqwah selfspiritual immune system , will-power, etc. will External factors: Authority, peer pressure, survival needs, responsibility, charisma, etc. Temptation, social context or situation, etc.

Which matters the more???

A Few Bad Apples

 Effect: Bad apples, Broken down car, phone, tools, Effect: machinery, exam failure, etc.  Causes: Causes:  Internal factors: ???  External factors: ???  Not about finding excuses for evil or wrong-doing, wrongbut about better understanding of situations and systems, their power, and our responsibilities (same goes for concerned doctor, teacher, parent, colleague, etc. !!)

Todays Focus
1. Personal or Self development 2. Personal or Self leadership NOT InterInter-personal relations, nor How to identify and resist negative influences of our contexts

What are Habits?

Habits are things we do repeatedly but most of the time we are hardly aware that we have them. They are on autopilot

Good manners can be acquired by practice: by feigning or assuming the actions issuing from those manners at first until they eventually become part of ones nature
(Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din. Beirut: Dar Alal-Din. al-Qalam, n.d., vol.3, pp.56-59). alpp.56-

The Prophet (saw) said, The deeds loved the most by Allah are those done regularly even if they are small
(Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.
Samuel Smiles

InsideInside-Out Development

Character development vs. Personality development

The Chinese Bamboo tree

Thoughts, Ideas & Reality

Inner fleeting thought Conscious thoughts & Emotions Drive, Decision, Intention Action Habit

Discussion Point

The Frog Principle

Roundabouts in Life If you keep doing the same thing, youll always get the same result

Great people are those who insist on and persist in doing those little things that other people do not want to do

Discussion Point
The Goose that laid the golden eggs.

Where do I start?

Circle of Influence and Circle of Concern

Circle of Influence Things that you can do something about.

Whoever sees something wrong, let him correct it by his hand (with the power vested in him),

and if he cant (do that), let him correct it with his tongue

and if he cant (do that), let him correct it with his heart, and this is the weakest of faith (if one can do more). more).
(Sahih Muslim)

Tie your camel camel

Circle of Concern
Areas you have no control over, but are nonetheless concerned about

"The proof of a Muslim's sincerity is, that he pays no heed to that, which is not his business." (Tirmidhi)

Focusing on and Expanding your Circle of influence

Health, weather, problems at work, national crisis, the depletion of the ozone layer, family problems, money

Paradigm Shifting as a habit

HABIT 1: BE PROACTIVE, RESPONSIBLE AND ACTION-ORIENTED ACTIONBeing PRO-ACTIVE is making PROthe decision to ACT!

Waiting! Why?

POWER PRESS PAUSE

STIMULUS RESPONSE

FREEDOM TO CHOOSE

 and most certainly shall We try you by means of danger and hunger and loss of worldly goods, of lives and of the fruits (of your labour). But give glad tidings to those who are patient in adversity, who, when calamity befalls them say, verily, to Allah we belong and verily, to Him is our return. It is they upon whom descend the rahmah (blessings and mercy) from their Sustainer, Sustainer, and it is they who are on the right path (Suratul Baqarah 2:155 157)

BE PROACTIVE. DONT BE A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCES! A PRODUCT OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT!

The Star Fish on the Beach

Nothing shall be accounted unto a person except what he strives for, and in time he shall see the results of his striving (Surah Al-Najm, 53:39-40).

HABIT 2: BE OPTIMISTIC, TRUST IN ALLAH, HAVE FAITH, AND ITS ALL KHAYR!!! KHAYR!!!

If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the eyes of Allah, he has only to look at what place he gives to Allah (in his heart and life) life)

(Al(Al-Hakim).

Whatever you pray for, be certain that it will be responded to to (Sunan At-Tirmidhi, AlAtAlHaakim)

BUSINESS THINKING Whatever befalls a Muslim is khayr (good or beneficial)

QADR ONLY IN THE PAST TENSE

When you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, for Allah loves those who put their trust in Him Him
(Surah Ali-Imran, 3:159). Ali- Imran,

Discussion Point

 Father, son and their donkey  The kings successor

HABIT 3: HAVE DEFINITE GOALS, GOALS, FOCUS. PURPOSE, AND FOCUS. BEGIN WITH THE QIBLA IN MIND.

If you dont know where you are going, then any road will take you there
(Zahid Parvez) Parvez)

SubhanAllah 10 minutes to live??? !!!!!!!!

I wish I had bought the latest N-series

I wish I could spend more time with my family

Oh Allah, Please forgive me

Number 1 priority
RELATIONSHIPS AND SERVICE With Allah, family, relatives, friends, etc. Making peace, giving, forgiving and being forgiven Leaving a good legacy sadaqatun jariya

Remember, the mutual rivalry the for accumulating the things of this world distracts you (from the most important things) until you visit your graves graves (Surah At-Takaathur, 102:1-2) At102:1-

Discussion Point

 The Stone-Cutter Stone The 5 year term King

HABIT 4:
PRIORITISE, AND PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST Fard before Mustahab Haram before Makruh

There isnt enough time for everything in life, but there is enough time for the most important things

The bucket of rocks and priorities

Time Management

 Scheduling priorities Vs.  Prioritizing schedules

The Pareto Principle 80/20

    Result Effort Output Input Effect Cause Examples: Car accident, Wealth control, Crimes, Alcohol consumption, Clothes, Friends, Customers, Work, Profit, etc., etc.

Take advantage of some five (things) before some five (others): your Life before your Death; your Good Health before your Ill-Health; Illyour Free Time before your PrePreoccupation; your Youth before your Old-Age; Oldyour Wealth before your Poverty Poverty
(Al(Al-Haakim, Al-Baihaqi). Al-

Time Mgt Matrix

Urgent & Important Not Urgent & Important

Urgent & Not Important

Not Urgent & Not Important

Its about the compass before the clock

Tyranny of the Urgent

Things that matter more, should not be done at the expense of things that matter less

Discussion Points
Acres of Diamonds Sharpening the saw

Our 1st things or priorities should be:  Spiritual,  Physical/health,  Mental/educational,  Emotional & Social ties  Professional/Financial/Service

Spirituality: Always remember Taqwah Dont fall back on Him only when things start going wrong. Do dhikr in any form, understand the meaning of the Quran and Hadiths. Be highly principled and have a strong value system. Keep Him very close and He will guide you through life.

Physical self:

Take care of yourself. Take care of your personal hygiene; ensure that you use deodorants and pleasant perfumes, keep your hair clean and neat. Stay healthy and fit. Balance health, diet, sleep, recreation (re-creation) (re-

Mental development:
 Read. readers are leaders/learners  Gather broad general knowledge (symphony).  Develop ones mind and talent.  Talk to others who take their personal and intellectual development seriously.  Read books and listen to tapes on PD&L.  Never stop learning (cradle to the grave)

 Whoever takes the path of seeking knowledge, Allah makes easy for him the path to Paradise (Hadith) (Hadith)  To keep knowledge, you use it or share it. Share it, use it, or lose it (Dawah) (Dawah)

Social development:
Dont forget your family 1st, in-Laws, infriends, neighbours, colleagues and neighbours, community members. Continue to build a healthy relationship with everyone around you. Give gifts occasionally, send food or snacks, send text messages, emails or notes. Learn to forgive and ask for forgiveness.

To travel far, go with others. To travel fast, go alone

South African Proverb

Professional/ Service/Financial development: Work hard and give 110%. Plan for your financial independence. Make wise investments through halal means. Volunteer and do sadaqatun jaariya. Remember, true happiness comes from giving

By balancing all these 5 st things, areas as your 1 you will have a very fulfilling life, insha Allah

"And spend in Gods cause, but do not stretch your hands to what may cause your own destruction..." (Qur'an 2:195)

HABIT 5: HAVE DISCIPLINE AND SELF-CONTROL SELF-

Your stories

Visualization Exercise

To do the right thing at the right time, whether you feel like it or not

Imam Al-Ghazali in his Ihya Ulum al-Din Alalsays: You should structure your time, arrange your regular devotions and assign to each function a set period of time during which it is given first priority but which it does not overstep. For if you abandon yourself to neglect and purposelessness, as cattle do, and just do anything that may occur to you at any time it happens to occur to you, most of your time will be wasted

 Your time is your life and your life is your capital; it is the basis capital; of your transactions (with God); and the means to attain everlasting felicity, in the proximity of God the Exalted. Each of your breaths is a priceless jewel, and when it passes away it never returns.
(Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali, cited in Khurram Murad, 2000, In Althe Early Hours: Reflections on Spiritual and Self Development. Markfield: Revival Publications, p.14)

Alhamdulillah, Thank you. Wassalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah! rahmatullah!

Dawah Institute of Nigeria Islamic Education Trust

3 Ilmi Avenue, (P.M.B. 229) Minna, Niger State, Nigeria E-mail: dawahinstitute@gmail.com nurulemu@yahoo.com Tel.: +234 803 588 1797