Does self-awareness matter?
Do you think that leaders really need to be self-aware?
Isn’t it enough that they just achieve great results?
Well, in my opinion, self-awareness, which is the ability to see yourself objectively through reflection, is critical for leadership.
Even the research concurs with my perspective.
I read, in a recent MIT Sloan Management Review article, the following:
“Self-awareness impacts the bottom line. Companies with stronger financial performance tend to have employees with higher levels of self-awareness than poorly performing companies.”
So, what can you do to be more self-aware?
You can start by answering these questions:
- What are my strengths as a leader?
- What are my weaknesses as a leader?
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses allows you to understand the impact that your behaviour has on the people around you. This is critically important in order for you to create a positive and motivating team culture.
To help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, below is a list of some of the common strengths that many leaders demonstrate. You will notice that each strength is paired with a weakness that often comes with the territory.
While the examples above are generalizations, the reality is that we all have strengths and weaknesses.
We are all human. No one is perfect. There is no need to strive for perfection.
Rather, learn to minimize your weaknesses. For example, if you know that being detailed is not your strength, book time in your calendar to plan and create a thorough action plan. Alternatively, you can delegate the tasks that require detail orientation to the person on your team who thrives on being thorough.
Being a self-aware leader is not about changing who you are to be more effective. It’s about being the best version of yourself.
This is what it means to truly be an authentic leader.
In other news.
On September 30th, our Leading Your People Program will begin.
If you are ready to become a very authentic and self-aware leader, this is your chance to really grow and develop both your confidence and leadership style.
In fact, in module one of the program, you will have the chance to complete the DiSC profile and learn:
- How your work-style impacts your decision making and communication
- How to leverage your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses to develop high trust relationships
- How to change or adjust your style to more effectively coach, direct, delegate and develop your team
I guarantee that you will love this module and learn so much about yourself.
Register here today.
Space is limited.
Vanessa
P.S. The program is filling up quickly, so if you are interested, go here to find out more and to register.
