Personal proficiency is the ultimate rule of leadership, and it starts with knowing yourself. If you are not grounded through your values and beliefs, credible through your judgment, emotionally mature through your ability to analyze yourself and connect with others, and willing to learn and grow as a leader, you will not be prepared to fill your role completely. In this chapter, the authors make recommendations for gaining insight into yourself and building personal proficiency--exercises that will make you a better leader. This chapter is excerpted from "The Leadership Code: Five Rules to Lead By."