SELF -AWARENESS

A purpose driven leader above all must possess self- awareness. In leadership, self-awareness is defined as an understanding of how your personality traits , habits and abilities affect your relationships and interactions with those around you. A self-aware leader is one who reflects on how their words and actions are perceived by others and work to change any deficits so they can be more effective leading their team. Self-awareness leads to personal control and growth which allows leaders to utilize all their strengths to guide their team to the most optimal outcome.

Why is self-awareness important?? Self-awareness is important because self-aware leaders make better decisions and are mindful of how their leadership impacts future outcomes for their organization. It allows leaders to more realistic in their expectations. Self-aware leaders understand how to balance what they want their team to accomplish with the creative vision they have for the group. Most importantly, self-aware leaders understand what they bring to their role. They have an in-depth understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, skills, knowledge, and personality traits which helps them to better perform within an organization.

Tackling who you are as a person is a very eye opening and daunting experience. In my life, there have been many occasions where I had to self reflect, evaluate who I was, and what I wanted and needed to be fulfilled. Then, I had to be courageous enough to make it happen….trusting myself and my judgement. Along the way, I received needed feedback from trusted friends and colleagues which helped me see my strengths and weaknesses better. It helped me gain some insight and make necessary changes.

Developing self-awareness might feel uncomfortable at first as you get used to actively seeking critical feedback and viewing yourself from an objective standpoint. However, the impact it can have on your professional relationships and the productivity of your team is undeniable. It is a lifelong process and it never ends. So, be patient with yourself and embrace the process.

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