Why stepping up and standing out starts with self awareness
To understand others, we must understand ourselves first. Self-awareness is a major part of living a life on purpose and it’s easier said than done. But it is possible. It just takes a little commitment, self-reflection and a willingness to dig deep.
‘Know thyself’
These words were originally attributed to Socrates, inscribed on the temple of Delphi over 2,000 years ago. It seems the idea we should learn all we can about leading ourselves before we can lead others has literally stood the test of time.
We understand just how important self-awareness is to leadership development but going on a journey of self-discovery is easier said than done. Because it is so difficult to master this skill, many of us continue to engage in self-defeating behaviours that cause us to fail to reach our own authenticity and potential.
When we know ourselves we no longer feel a need to seek the safety of a carefully constructed front. We are truly free to be ourselves, in a real and authentic way. That’s how we tap into the best of who we really are.
Self-discovery is a continuous journey. It’s an ongoing process of self-reflection rather than a one-time project or a destination. We must continually monitor, examine, and modify our thinking and behaviours. How do we do that?
Find moments of stillness
Be prepared to dig up the dirt that you may have squashed down over the years
Tune into our self-talk and identify whether its helpful, nurturing and positive or controlling, critical and sabotaging
Question how we are REALLY doing without bias or ego
Question what we could do better
This all-important process of recognising and understanding our current patterns moves us further along the road to:
gaining clarity of purpose and vision of what we want to achieve in life
an understanding of what makes us unique - our strengths, weaknesses and capabilities
learning how to leverage our strengths to compensate for our weaknesses
understanding our unique contribution to the world around us
understanding our personal beliefs, blind-spots, principles, habits, motivators and values.
To live a life that serves and positively impacts those around us requires us to learn how to understand ourselves. Being aware of our present selves allows us to be more conscious of our reactions and behaviours and assists us in changing them in favour of more effective ones in a way that is sustainable over the long term.
We become informed observers rather than victims. To behave authentically in leading others, we must first learn to lead ourselves.
“To move the world we must move ourselves” - Socrates
Author: Deidre Dattoli
Deidre is highly experienced in the fields of executive coaching and leadership development, team dynamics and performance, offering a range of personal and group leadership training programs, customized training solutions, consultancy and coaching services.
Deidre is one of Griffith Consulting's key program facilitators.
For more information about Deidre, please contact us, today.