Self-awareness is a crucial capability that effective leaders must develop as it builds the foundation for other leadership qualities. We cannot be confident, empathetic, and work as a team if we are unaware of ourselves, our emotions, thoughts, and how they can influence our behaviors.
For these reasons, it is imperative to discuss what an excellent leader looks like and how you can harness the power of self-awareness to become your best self and guide others.
Self-Awareness in Leadership
If there’s one skill that sets good leaders apart from excellent leaders, it is their self-awareness. Effective leadership heavily depends on how aware one is of themselves, their thoughts, and their emotions. Research shows that female leaders tend to be more aware than their male counterparts. However, leaders, in general, lack this important skill.
Developing this leadership quality is not as easy as it seems. It requires constant effort and work to understand oneself and connect with themselves.
Here are some strategies that may help individuals become more self-aware so that they can become effective leaders who thrive in their careers and relationships:
Get To Know Yourself
Self-awareness is defined as knowing one’s personality. This is why understanding oneself to develop self-awareness is vital. You must recognize yourself, who you are, your emotional intelligence, and what your goals are. Doing so will arm you with the ability to make decisions that will aid in your growth and personality. It will also help you manage relationships.
Strive To Grow and Develop
Successful leaders are constantly striving to grow to improve themselves and improve. They know their strengths and weaknesses and how to leverage them and minimize their weaknesses. Effective leaders always look for opportunities to grow, so they invest in and follow programs like the Mental Minutes Success Coaching, designed by Kimberly Dalius.
Kimberly is an experienced executive coach that guides individuals in building their self-awareness. Through her coaching, individuals can significantly improve their lives and become successful leaders.
Identify Your Triggers
Part of being self-aware is also knowing your triggers – good and bad. Individuals should know how to respond to certain situations and what the impact of their reactions would be. Knowing these would help them make better decisions, not just for themselves but for their organization as well.
Always Strive To Grow Your Awareness
Self-awareness never ends. It involves a constant cycle of being curious about experiences, cultures, and knowledge. We are constantly growing and evolving, thus developing different triggers. Knowing what these are can help us understand ourselves and simultaneously grow as leaders.
The Bottom Line
Self-awareness offers leaders the ability to succeed professionally and personally. It helps them grow their knowledge, personality, experiences, and more. It involves committing to constantly do better. And such leaders are worth following.