Self-governance is one of the six key leadership values. To recap, these values are Self-governance, Humility, Sacrifice, Freedom, Valuing Others, and Truth. While the first five are important, Truth is the cornerstone. It serves as the foundation for all the other values.
When you think of self-governance, you might associate it with government. While that connection is easy to make, our focus here is on the individual.
Defining Self-Governance
The dictionary defines self-governance as:
Exercising control or authority over oneself
Exhibiting self-discipline or self-control
Regulating one’s emotions, desires, and actions through personal will
These definitions align with how we use the term. Self-control is a key synonym for self-governance. With this in mind, we define self-governance as:
Choosing long-term benefits over immediate gratification.
Consider how this mindset can impact your life. When you develop the ability to prioritize future rewards over short-term pleasures, you gain more freedom. Why? Because you are making deliberate choices, not just reacting to immediate impulses. Sales and marketing often try to push you toward instant gratification—getting the product now. Self-governance helps you resist that temptation and focus on the greater rewards ahead.
It’s similar to the choice between saving and spending. Spending usually brings immediate satisfaction, while saving is about securing future gains. Or consider choosing to maintain a positive attitude when your boss asks you to take out the trash. Without strong values like self-governance, you might complain. However, with self-governance, you look past the task itself and choose to do it well, believing in the long-term benefits. Research shows that supervisors appreciate employees who don’t complain.
An important addition to this definition is:
Doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
By living according to strong values, you make the right decisions, even in the absence of external rewards or consequences.
Increases What Is Good
Roy Baumeister wrote an exceptional book called Willpower, which is an excellent read. Willpower is another term closely linked to self-governance or self-control. In his book, Baumeister presents fascinating research on the benefits of self-governance.
People who exhibit greater self-governance are consistently better off. Baumeister's research shows that higher self-control leads to significant improvements in people's lives.
There is a clear link between higher future income, better GPAs, lower rates of teen pregnancy, fewer sexually transmitted diseases, and nearly every other goal most people aim for. Just think about that! Many of the things people desire are directly tied to self-control, while many of the things they want to avoid are linked to a lack of self-control.
Helps Avoid Problems
Here’s something that may be hard to grasp at first. Baumeister argues that people with higher levels of self-control don’t actually need to use it as often. What? That seems contradictory, but here’s what’s really going on.
Typically, self-control is required when you're faced with a temptation. Picture this: you’re on the brink of a slippery slope, tempted to make a poor decision. In those moments, you need a lot of self-control to step back. But stepping back is tough when you’re already on the edge, and more often than not, you end up sliding down the slope.
However, people with more self-control don’t need to exert it because they avoid getting close to the edge in the first place. Self-governance is best applied to keep you far from temptation. By developing healthy habits or patterns, they reduce the need to rely on intense self-control during high-pressure moments.
This is crucial because self-control is a limited resource, and it’s important to use it wisely.
Helps You And Organizations Get More Done
Lastly, self-governance is essential for organizations. It enhances the organization's capacity without the need to hire additional staff. Consider this: when individuals take responsibility for their own actions and do what’s asked of them, less supervision is required. As a result, the organization’s capacity grows. This is why some companies are able to accomplish so much more than others.
This is also why GR8 Leaders are individuals who practice self-governance and continuously teach and promote it. It is crucial not only for you but for the success of the entire organization.