Every leader goes through many stages of development, which typically begins with taking a fresh look at yourself as a leader. During the first stage, you listen and learn from everyone and every situation. The second stage involves beginning to prove yourself as a leader, especially in your decision-making and problem-solving skills. By the third stage you begin to have successes and deliver results based on the potential others saw in you. The fourth stage is when you start to question your abilities, especially when something has set you back a bit.
After a few iterations of the other stages, you enter the 5th stage – the one where you exhibit a little more maturity as a leader. You discover a sense of humility and humor – the stage where you realize that those you surround yourself with are just as important, if not more so, than you are. If you are a leader that takes yourself too seriously, you may find work life more difficult than it needs to be.
In a Forbes article by Chinwe Esimai titled “Great Leadership Starts with Self-Awareness” she states that self-awareness has been cited as the most important capability for leaders to develop. Successful leaders know where their natural inclinations lie and use this knowledge to boost those inclinations or to compensate for them.
Key points to self-awareness:
- Know yourself. How self-aware are you? How keen is your emotional intelligence, that ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others? How are you effectively using that awareness to manage your behavior and relationships? Are you honest with yourself about areas in which you need to grow?
- Identify external factors that trigger both negative and positive behaviors. How can you control your negative reaction to triggers?
- Gather trusted feedback to help you understand the impact of your actions on others. Are you unaware of your blind spots that may limit your effectiveness as a leader?
- Consider the circumstances by thinking about when to utilize a personality trait to your advantage and when it’s best to leave it on the sidelines. Most self-aware leaders have learned to identify their natural tendencies and have adjusted their behavior in some way, in order to change how they are perceived. They did not change their personality, but they did learn how to change their behavior, when needed, in both business and personal situations.
- Assess behaviors in light of your values and priorities by being honest about what tendencies you would like to change and which ones you would like to build upon. The best outcome of self-awareness is to figure out what makes you amazing and be more of the excellent you.
- Stay curious about yourself and others. Curiosity will help you continually learn, grow, and develop as an effective leader. Remember, you can learn from each person you interact with throughout the day.
If you want to go a little deeper regarding self-awareness, listen to this TED talk. (18:09) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9qVa4LoJx8 The Power of Self-Awareness by William L. Sparks
“People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.” – Carl Jung
“What transformational leader is lying silent in you, encompassing all of the talents and gifts that can enable you to become the next-generation you?” – Robert McMillan
“If you are under the impression you have already perfected yourself, you will never rise to the heights you are no doubt capable of.” – Kazuo Ishiguro
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