Know Your Stuff

I love the ideal of human to human interaction without things such as status, power, past history and hierarchy getting in the way. But, in my experience as a coach, a leader and a human, I know it ain’t that easy!??

As humans we bring our ‘stuff’ with us: our strengths our biases, our stories our fears and our vulnerabilities. And whilst most of the time we might be successful at keeping our stuff under some sort of control, when we are tired, stressed, threatened or under pressure to get things done, things can very quickly unravel, lids can flip off and before you know it we are not the human, let alone the leader, that we want and aspire to be.

Rasmus Hougaard wisely states that ‘If we want to be a successful leader we must begin with ourselves. Knowing and understanding ourselves allows us to lead ourselves. Only then can we understand and know others and lead others.’

In simple terms, self-awareness is key.

But what is self-awareness? Psychologist Kate Price sees self awareness as one of the hallmarks of a great leader. It demonstrates a capacity to honestly evaluate your own actions, beliefs and impact on others.?

To me, self awareness begins with being a neutral observer of our self. It’s about noticing how our ‘stuff’ shapes our experience and perception.? As we become more aware, we can choose to deliberately and purposefully take steps to adjust, strengthen or change.??

The more we come to understand ourselves and our ‘stuff’, the better we are able to understand that those around us have their own unique package of ‘stuff’ that impacts them and how they show up.

Leadership Reflections:

Where would you say you are at now with your self awareness?

Where would you like to be?

What is one step you can take this week to get you closer to the leader you’d like to be?