Self awareness is at the heart of being both a coach and a conscious leader.
I used to think that I was self aware - I knew what I was good at and what I wasn’t good at (the second list being 3 times longer than the first!)
That’s being self aware right? Wrong. I wasn’t self aware at all, I was self deprecating and that wasn’t helpful to me or to anyone else.
True self awareness is understanding as much as we can about our view of the world. How our thoughts, needs and behaviours are shaped by our values, beliefs and emotions and how in turn these impact upon others.
There are two types of self awareness - internal and external perspectives.
Internal self awareness for conscious leadership
Involves introspection and self reflection. To observe and understand our thoughts, emotions and motivations which in turn shows us our core values, beliefs and strengths. It’s being in tune with our emotions and being able to recognise our triggers, enabling us to understand and regulate our responses.
It means understanding ourselves on a deeper level - our values, our identity, our purpose and it is an enabler for personal and professional growth
External self awareness for conscious leadership
The external perspective is to recognise how we are perceived by others. To understand how our thoughts words, actions and behaviours impact on others.
As a manager or leader you have an influence on others, you are a role model, your words, behaviour and actions ripple and have a direct impact on your relationships, your team and on the culture of the organisation.
Cultivating self awareness means actively seeking feedback from diverse perspectives - your manager, peers, direct reports, stakeholders. From people of different backgrounds, ages, races, gender. Accepting that feedback and acting upon it.
This level of self awareness is a game changer for your personal and professional growth (another key pillar of conscious leadership)
It will help you to build stronger more effective relationships, communicate more effectively and navigate situations with empathy and understanding.
Not only will it help you to be a better leader, it will help you in life, relationships and in your career. It will:
Improve your emotional intelligence and agility
Enhance the quality of your decision making
Make you a better and more effective communicator.
Enable you to grow personally and professionally
Make you a stronger, more inclusive and more conscious leader.
Raising self awareness is at the heart of Coaching and is a great way to accelerate your personal and professional growth to generate better outcomes.
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Thanks for reading.
Lucy
A passionate advocate for conscious leadership and the power of coaching.
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