Harness the Power of Inner Self-Awareness to Lead Boldly

As a leader, you often focus on "the big picture" — strategy, vision, and execution.

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And while this is undoubtedly important, have you ever wondered how your leadership style affects those around you?

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You may be excited with your bold, new ideas and initiatives for your company, but how does your team feel about it? Are they just as excited as you? Or do they feel anxious about the new workload and daunting amount of changes they’ll need to make?

The difference between whether your new vision soars or fails lies in self-awareness.

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When you are self-aware, you can adjust your actions to the situation or person to ensure you achieve the outcome you want— which makes you highly effective as a leader.

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Often overlooked, inner self-awareness is critical if you want to lead boldly and effectively.

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Leaders, here's an intriguing thought to consider:

To lead boldly and guide others to new heights, you must understand how your actions impact others.

In this newsletter, I'll explore the importance of inner self-awareness for leaders and how leaders can develop their own self-awareness.

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Why Leaders Benefit From Inner Self-awareness

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Inner self-awareness is your ability to truly understand yourself - your strengths, weaknesses, values, and the impact you have on others.

It’s a difficult skill to develop, but when you are able to see yourself clearly and objectively through reflection and introspection, your leadership excels.

When you develop self-awareness, you:

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?? Build trust with your team

When you are self-aware, you can recognize and understand your core values and motivations. This deep understanding of yourself helps you make decisions aligned with who you are, making you an authentic leader and building trust with your team and stakeholders.

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?? Cultivates an open culture

Self-awareness allows you to recognize that you don’t have all the answers and surround yourself with people who complement your skills. When you understand your limitations, you make better decisions and create a culture of openness and continuous learning.

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?? Enhances your emotional intelligence

By understanding your emotional triggers and patterns, you can better manage your reactions, especially in high-pressure situations. This emotional regulation is crucial when every decision you make as a leader has far-reaching consequences, requiring you to keep cool and level-headed.

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?? Helps you grow and adapt as a leader

The business landscape is constantly evolving, and so must you. Regular reflection on your experiences and feedback helps you continuously refine your leadership approach to keep up with the fast-paced changes of the world.

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How to Cultivate Greater Inner Self-Awareness

The key to developing inner self-awareness is to look within. Take time to question how and why you think, act, and communicate the way you do. Observe how your actions, words, and attitudes affect others. This is the first step in beginning to understand yourself and build self-awareness.

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Here are some additional strategies designed to help you look inward and gain a comprehensive understanding of your internal processes:

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1. Self-Awareness Wheel

Explore various dimensions of your inner self, including thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. This tool facilitates a deeper understanding of why you think, act, and communicate the way you do, and how this affects others. A trusted coach can help guide you through this process.

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2. Mindfulness Practice

Engage in regular mindfulness practices like mindful breathing or meditation to become more attuned to your thoughts and emotions. This helps you understand how your internal state influences your behaviour and interactions.

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3. Seek Diverse Feedback

Actively seek feedback from a range of sources to get external perspectives on how others perceive your actions and communication. This is crucial for understanding the impact of your behaviour and identifying areas for self-improvement.

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4. Practice Regular Reflection

Set aside time each week to reflect on your actions, decisions, and feedback. This helps uncover why you act and communicate in certain ways and how these behaviours affect your leadership effectiveness.

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5. Be Open to Blind Spots

Confront uncomfortable truths about yourself by using tools like personality assessments. Ask family members or colleagues about your blind spots, or use free assessments online, such as the one at Blind Spot Global. Addressing these blind spots leads to a deeper understanding of your inner self and its impact on others.

6. Work with Accredited Coaches

Engage with experienced executive coaches for guided introspection and to challenge your blind spots, beliefs and assumptions. Coaches help uncover these and guide you into higher levels of self-awareness. ?

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In Conclusion

The path to bold leadership starts with self-knowledge.

As you grow in self-understanding, you become better equipped to lead others, navigate complex challenges, and drive your organization to new heights.

Remember, the journey of self-awareness is ongoing. Committing to a regular practice of personal growth that truly defines leadership at its pinnacle.

Embrace this journey. Continually strive to understand yourself better and lead more effectively. After all, your growth as a leader can inspire the growth of everyone around you! ?

P.S. If you want to know more about these self-awareness practices and how you can grow as a leader, send me a direct message.

Leaders: Are you ready to embrace and grow your self-awareness?

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About Mireille Bergraaf

Mireille Bergraaf MCC ESIA is an internationally accredited ICF Master Coach (MCC) with over 10+ years of experience in coaching, leadership, and spirituality. She specializes in empowering leaders to cultivate empathy and compassion through coaching skills.

Mireille is the founder of Dutch Leadership Development (DLD), a leadership development company that works at the intersection of spirituality and business and focuses on cultivating coaching cultures within organization.

Mireille advocates for integrating spirituality in businesses to promote empathy, compassion, kindness, and integrity in teamwork.

She guides companies to cultivate coaching cultures within their organizations. Coaching cultures promote trust, open communication, welcoming challenges for growth, embracing diversity, team engagement, supporting creativity, and thinking beyond individual interests to contribute positively to the world.