[This is a guest post by Kimanzi Constable. He is a former bread delivery driver turned best-selling author, international speaker and life coach. His passion is to help family men and woman live life by their own design and create a freedom based online business on the side. You can also connect with him on Twitter.]

From late 2000 to 2012 I owned a service business. At the height of this business, I had five people working for me and operated in three states. During this time period I was also in leadership at church, and a husband and father.

I had a lot of chances to lead and be the kind of leader I was taught about growing up. Some days I was, most day I wasn’t. Too many times I just faked it and as a result, no one really believed or followed my leading.

With so much training, especially from the good Word, how could I be such a lousy leader?

I was a terrible leader because of the story I was telling myself. I wanted to lead, I wanted to take action but I believed those negative stories. As a result, all those areas of my life suffered.

What story are you telling yourself?

Information isn’t enough

With all the information we have available to us: all the books, courses, trainers and the wealth of information we have online, why do we have a problem with obesity in America?

It’s not because of a lack of information, it’s the stories we tell ourselves: I’m just this way, I can’t because of these ten reasons, life has done this to me. You can insert the specifics but the point is we let these stories keep us from taking action and making changes.

I couldn’t lead because I believed the stories I told myself about my leadership: I didn’t have enough credentials, I wasn’t qualified, I was too young. I let these stories keep me from standing up and leading, as a result, many areas of my life and my business ultimately suffered.

You can have all the knowledge in the world about leadership or anything you’re passionate about but until you tell yourself a better story, you’ll never take action and see success and be the kind of leader people follow.

Tell yourself a better story

Here’s the good thing, you have the power to change your story. You can decide to stop listening to all those doubts and fears and just lead. When are you a leader? When you lead.

One huge key to success in leadership is changing your mindset. If you don’t believe in yourself and your ability to lead, no one will. You have to be the person that stands up when no one else will, you have to be the one that takes a stand when everyone else is quiet.

Shifting your mindset and realizing that you are a leader is how you tell yourself a better story. See it, believe it and live it. You are a leader and with the way our society is going, we need your strong leadership.

How can you apply this right now?

Information is great and inspiring, we read things and get fired up but none of it means anything unless you take action. How can you practically apply this post? Three ways:

Identify what stories you’ve been telling yourself

Realize you have the power to change those negative stories

Start to shift your mindset, start to tell yourself better stories

This will be a process that takes time but starting today will have you telling yourself a better story and from there, you can truly see success and lead others to success. I hope you’ve set big goals and dreams this year because telling yourself better stories will help you hit every one of them.

Question: What negative stories have you been telling yourself?