According to Wikipedia self awareness is the capacity for introspect and the ability to recognize oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals. This includes having a clear understanding of your personality and how you think. You should intimately know your strengths and weaknesses…what motivates you…what you believe in/not what others want you to believe…You should have the ability to understand the perceptions others have of you and what your reaction is to how the perceive you. Sometimes in our mind’s eye we believe or see ourselves as one thing but the fact is, this is not real.
In order to be an effective leader you will need to become self aware. By understanding who you are and what makes you tick, the how/why you react to things is critical in building strong character. Becoming self aware helps us understand why we failed or why we succeeded…and if we want to be successful wouldn’t we behave in a way that increases the opportunity for success? Take a moment to think about two scenarios…
- A time you failed at something…a project…a relationship
- A time you were successful at something…a project…a relationship
How were you behaving in each of these situations? Were you listening or doing whatever you wanted…were you shut off to suggestions or asking for more…how were you reacting…how did it make you feel? Were you truly self aware? Be sure to look at yourself objectively. This can be difficult to do…we must learn to accept and be responsible for our behavior. By becoming more self aware in each interaction we will have a clearer understanding of who we are and how we can better interact with those around us.
“I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.” – Billie Jean King
