Self-awareness is a complicated skill for just about everyone. You might think you have a wonderful sense of humor, but your wife begs to differ. And you probably assume you’re doing the best job you can as the leader of your organization, but yet, many of your employees could be completely disengaged.
Self-awareness is an extremely important leadership competency, but it doesn’t receive much attention or focus. Think about it, we have been trained all of our lives to act as if we are the best at what we do. If you admit you have areas that need improvement in your leadership style, your direct reports might lose faith in you as a leader.
I hope you realize that just simply is not true. People, no matter their role or title, always have room to grow. When you simply close out any attempt at self-awareness it can truly impact the way you lead.
For instance, when you’re not self-aware you are probably not as conscious as you could be of how your emotions affect your behavior, particularly toward other people. You are probably not adequately mindful of when you are tired, in an emotional state, or out of touch with your values.
The reality is humans can’t actually be unemotional; emotions are part of our every day experience. Emotions strongly influence actions, and effective leaders are able to balance their emotional responses with clear-headed thinking and analysis. Knowing your emotional state allows you to not overreact emotionally and thereby complicate the situation. In addition, self-awareness can help you to understand when to go with your “gut” reaction rather than relying completely on analytical techniques.
Be honest with yourself. That might be the biggest step in developing self-awareness.