4 Steps to Becoming a More Self-Aware Leader
Confidence. Commitment. Passion. Integrity. All of these are characteristics of an admirable leader. But there is one trait that may overshadow them all: self-awareness. Self-aware leaders have the ability to monitor their own emotions and reactions. Leaders that are highly attuned to their behaviors (and how others perceive those behaviors) can make a positive impact in their organization by setting the tone for maturity, moderation, and civility that others will aim to replicate.
Here are some techniques that can be used to help you enhance your own self-awareness and, in turn, improve your overall leadership abilities.
Make Friends with Your Strengths and Weaknesses
The process of self-discovery is both validating and challenging. You'll recognize the personality traits that have been most successful for you and landed you in the leadership position you have today—but you'll also have to acknowledge the ways you act under stress and what's held you back.
Discover How Others Perceive You
We all have biases, especially about ourselves, so the more external feedback you can get about your own behavior, the better. Knowing how people perceive you is helpful for building self-awareness—and one of the best ways to find out is to simply ask.
Look for the Learning Moments
Many situations throughout the typical business day can be ideal learning moments, especially if you're in a leadership role where you're constantly interacting with others. Every interaction you experience can be a learning moment if you take the time to review and assess it.
Reflect on characteristics that you’d like to portray as a leader, such as being supportive, compassionate, motivating, and responsive. Then think about leadership development techniques and behaviors that can help you become that person.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness can be summed up as being acutely aware of the moment—paying attention to the world around you and your place in it. You can practice mindfulness at home in a quiet room or in the middle of a busy office. All you need to do is stop, take a mental step back, and really notice what’s going on.
What thoughts are racing through your brain? What are you seeing, hearing, or feeling? What emotions are you experiencing? Are you breathing slowly or rapidly? Are you relaxed or tense? Your body's physical state can indicate if you are mentally stressed—which is the most important time to be monitoring your behavior and reactions.
Being mindful in times of stress isn't easy, but if you exercise mindfulness regularly, you'll be more equipped when crisis strikes. You can practice mindfulness at various times throughout the day, in a variety of situations. Think of them as self-awareness mini-sessions, where your only goal is to observe and experience what’s going on within and around you.
Self-awareness—meaning the alignment between how you see yourself and how others see you—is the raw material by which top leaders learn how to adapt themselves to the goals they want to achieve. It’s incredibly difficult to develop self-awareness as a leader, and even more difficult to maintain it through the inevitable changes implicit in growing a company.
But a growing body of research says it’s worth the effort.
Reference:
https://blog.birkman.com/the-importance-of-becoming-a-self-aware-leader