Episode 02: The Magic of Self-Awareness

 
 

It’s All About Awareness!

Let’s get into what self-awareness is and why it matters in your leadership! It’s like pixie dust - and who couldn’t use some of that?!

Enjoy!

 

Listen Here:

(The notes below are only a brief summary of what is discussed in the podcast. Be sure to listen to get all of the goodness! If you would like a full transcription of the episode, please send an email request to: angie@angie-robinson.com. We’d be happy to provide that!)

There are a lot of skills and behaviors that contribute to being an effective and successful leader. The one most foundational and fundamental component is self-awareness.

There is certainly a lot that lives underneath the umbrella of self-awareness!

I love this quote from Bob Iger, former CEO and Executive Chairman of the Walt Disney Company:

“True authority and true leadership come from knowing who you are and not pretending to be anything else.”

That quote pretty much syncs up what I believe!

My definition of self-awareness is:

  • knowing and understanding yourself

  • by bringing the subconscious to the conscious

  • allowing you to intentionally leverage your uniqueness, create change and connect more effectively with others.

Why is self-awareness important?

  • Allows us to be our best self (by honoring, leveraging and managing who we are; minimizing comparison, managing our thoughts and increasing confidence)

  • Allows us to be intentional about change and to make better decisions

  • Creates stronger relationships with self and others

  • Increases productivity

  • Catapults us to reaching our goals and live into our future

With most things - there are barriers to doing the work of self-awareness. Some of these barriers include:

  • It can sound “woo-woo” - or get that reputation - turning some people off from it

  • You might be afraid of what might come up when you really dig in and pay attention

  • It takes intention and time

Here are some ways you can get more self-awareness:

  • Start to notice.  What makes you laugh?  What seems to trigger you?

  • Challenge your thoughts.  Ask questions like: “Why do I believe this?”  “Why did I have that thought?”  “What am I making it mean?”

  • Ask others for feedback. You could ask what they see as your strengths, what areas that are frustrating for them, etc.

  • Utilize tools, such as personality profiles, etc. (my favorite is Insights!)

I see self-awareness as three elements/areas that when they intersect - make up the unique you. Those elements/areas are:

  • Psychological Preferences

  • Inherent Strengths, Weaknesses, Passions

  • Experiences + Beliefs

In recap - why self-awareness matters:

  • Knowing the hows and whys of who we are opens up space for compassion and intention

  • We can understand why we might react and/or behave and/or approach things

  • We can decide what to leverage, what to manage and what to change

  • We can appreciate more about others’ knowing that their three elements look completely different than ours

  • We can be better leaders

 

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Angie Robinson