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The concept of leadership is always confusing to many people. It is very important to understand that leadership is never about the leadership position. Leadership starts with you before you go ahead to offer leadership to others!
There is a common saying that says, “Before you can lead others you have to lead yourself.” One of the essentials in leading others is a clear understanding of your people. But that is not all. I know you haven’t forgotten yet the saying, “Charity begins at home.” You are the ‘home’ here! Self-awareness is the concept of the day here.
Self-awareness is the understanding of oneself personality. It really plays a big role especially in leadership among other important skills needed. It is one of the key elements of Emotional Intelligence.
5 Ways In Which Self-awareness Plays A Big Role In Leadership
1. Growth
Self-awareness helps you to differentiate the environments that keep you energetic from those that drain you and those that are uncomfortable for you. Self-awareness makes the environment around us and relationships as well way much better. Lack of self-awareness denies one an opportunity to be a better version of themselves.
By having this awareness, you will be able to plan your time well and be in a position to recharge yourself as well later on. As a leader, developing self-awareness strengthens your individual as well as organizational performance.
2. Humility
Self-aware leaders have been reported to embrace the character of humility. “Intellectual humility” helps create an environment where everyone feels comfortable acknowledging his or her flaws and asking for help. As a leader, this is indeed very vital.
3. Weaknesses and Strengths
Self-awareness helps a leader identify his strengths and weaknesses. This is important as it helps one to better themselves by working to improve on his weaknesses and use well his strengths. Your strengths matter not if they are not well utilized.
4. Motivation
Self-awareness does not translate to happiness. It means that you will be in a better position to identify any hint of negative emotions and deal with them in a healthy way. Without self-awareness, it is hard to comprehend the impact we have on others, how we respond to others, and the happenings around us. This leaves you an optimistic individual and of course, motivates your followers as a leader.
5. Conflict Resolution
No single leader will miss an encounter with conflict in their tenure of leadership. However, the most important thing is how the leader handles the conflict to ensure that everything is restored back to normalcy.
Leaders who are keenly self-aware know how to recognize hot buttons in themselves and others as well and how to craft their messages in a conflict to find that sweet spot between passive and aggressive and act assertively. It seems sweet, right?
Develop your self-awareness
Having said the above points, aim at increasing your self-awareness and emotional intelligence, become more attuned to the needs of others, increase your emotional and social awareness, and manage your responses to situations more effectively.
Feedback, training, and development are key to making changes and stretching yourself as a leader. Remember, to whom much is given much is expected as well. People do expect much from you and therefore that means you should be well equipped if you ought to become an effective leader. Of course, I know you do.
Don’t feel ashamed to ask for feedback from those around you, seeking out support and mentorship. It will really be helpful as far as growth is concerned. Good luck folks!
