The Three Lessons About Awareness
When you’re a leader, everyone watches (judges) your every move. These three principles can help you become more self-aware in your role.
Often rolled into practical communication training, self-awareness is becoming a specific skill many managers need to practice.
Dr. Tasha Eurich - an organizational psychologist who has extensively researched how self-awareness manifests in leadership - highlights the fundamental differences between how we see ourselves and how others see us.
There are two forms of self-awareness:
Internal - how we see ourselves regarding values, passions, aspirations, fit within our environment, reactions, and impact on others.
External - understanding how others view us within the same.
Initially, self-awareness was singular in focus - and only concerned with internal exploration, but it now understood how important your team perceptions are in everyday work interactions.
Dr. Eurich suggests focusing on these three principles as you understand the differences between internal and external self-awareness.
Decide to learn the truth and keep learning. We do this in two ways. First, we establish personal values and principles and actively demonstrate them. By committing to a life of learning more about ourselves, we naturally begin to show up authentically, building genuine, trusting relationships.
Ask for feedback. It’s how you cultivate honest, external self-awareness. Those in our support system often see inherent characteristics we may not see for ourselves. You’re looking to develop an ‘unbiased mirror’ to view how others see us, allowing us to correct behaviours that don’t align with our values or the needs of our colleagues.
Ask what, not why. Asking ‘why’ often drills down toward accountability in an unproductive manner. ‘Why’ tends to ignite the Ego. Asking ‘what’ looks for objective facts, stays focused on the future, and naturally leads toward a plan with accountability to act on the insights we gain when seeking honest feedback.
What we’re trying to build in all of this work is a map — a compass — that will point us toward more authentic, open, and supportive relationships (both at work and at home).
Look inward to produce outward.
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