Increase Your Self-Awareness to Become a Better Leader

In the fast-paced, ever-changing world of work today, leaders who can respond quickly and pivot easily are the ones who thrive. Self-awareness is one of the essential qualities a leader needs to succeed. This trait allows you to see yourself clearly and understand your strengths and limitations. It also lets you know how other people perceive you, which is crucial if you want to be an effective leader. Being self-aware helps you understand your character so that you can take control of your actions and behaviors instead of letting them get out of hand. It also makes you more aware of your leadership strengths and weaknesses, enabling you to improve areas where you're less skilled. An honest look in the mirror and some helpful tips can help any leader develop this essential trait.

Set aside time to understand yourself

If you want to be effective at anything, you must carve out time to do it. If self-awareness is a goal for you, you must put it on your schedule and make it happen. If you don't make sure to set aside time for self-reflection, you'll never be able to see yourself clearly. This time doesn't have to be long. Five or 10 minutes at the end of each day or the beginning or end of a meeting might be all you need. You don't have to sit in a quiet room; you just need to find a place where you won't be interrupted so that you can focus on your thoughts.

Develop a habit of self-reflection

One of the best ways to become more self-aware is to make self-reflection a habit. This could mean writing down your thoughts in a journal or keeping a daily log to record your feelings and thoughts. Another option is to keep a "thought log" electronically, where you can record your thoughts for later reflection. Journaling is a great way to tune into your feelings and thoughts. If you prefer to keep a journal electronically, many apps can help you maintain a log of your thoughts. Whatever method you choose, the key to making self-reflection a habit is to make it as easy as possible. Once you have a system in place, you can easily tap into your thoughts and feelings daily, making it much easier to see yourself clearly.

Take the time to get to know your team

If your team members feel like they know you, they'll trust you and be more willing to follow your lead. If they don't know you well, they may second-guess you or assume you don't know what you're doing. If you want your team to trust and follow you, take the time to get to know them. Ask them what they like, what they don't like, and what makes them feel comfortable and confident. Ask open-ended questions that get them talking about what matters to them. Take careful notes so that you can refer back to them later. You don't have to do this with everyone on your team; just choose a few key people to get to know better. As you get to know your team members, you'll be able to understand how they think and how they perceive you. This information is crucial to being an effective leader and gives you comparisons to refer to in your self-reflection.

Ask for input from others

As you get to know your team members better, ask them to give you honest feedback about yourself as a leader. This can be a bit scary, but people will be more likely to open up to you if they feel safe doing so. You can also focus this discussion on your team member's strengths and weaknesses so that everyone can walk away with more insight into themselves and each other. There are lots of ways you can ask for this kind of input. You can set up one-on-one meetings with your team members to discuss their perceptions of you and your team's performance. You can also use something like the Strengthsfinder assessment to get a general idea of your strengths and weaknesses. However you do it, asking for input helps you understand how others see you, which is crucial to becoming a more self-aware leader.

Don't be afraid to fail — and learn from it

You will make mistakes as you try out new things and experiment with different leadership styles. That's just a fact of life. But don't let those mistakes hold you back. Instead, learn from each one and move on so that you can keep trying new things. The more you try, the more you'll get a feel for what works for you and what doesn't. There's no magic formula for becoming a better leader. It's a constant journey of self-awareness and growth. You always need to be looking at ways to improve yourself. If you want to be an effective leader, you must prioritize self-awareness.

Go out and Lead!