Who do we see in our reflection?
Andreas Schaal
Bringing humanity to work to help you develop leaders others love to follow
How often do we look into the mirror and who do we really see?
How self-aware are we really? Do we truly see the person looking back?
Self-Awareness is linked to job performance, career success, and leadership effectiveness.
However, research shows that of 95% of people who claimed to be self-aware, only 15% actually were.
Of efforts to improve self-awareness, more than two-thirds result in failure.
Lack of self-awareness can cut a team's effectiveness by 50%!
So what do we do?
How do we begin to truly see ourselves and others?
Consider these 3 questions.
Am I willing and able to lead by example?
Am I willing and able to see where I might be part of the problem?
Am I curious enough to understand how I impact others?
There is another aspect we need to factor in though - the possibility that we humans are in large part self-deceived about why we act as we do.
To say that we might be self-deceived is to say that our beliefs about ourselves and each other are more than merely false. They are falsifications—distortions of our experience for which we ourselves are responsible.
In other words, we are failing, both individually and as a culture, to understand ourselves—not because of an inability to do so, but because of a wilful refusal to do so.
Our mindset—the fundamental manner in which we see ourselves and others—is a systemic and deep-seated deception of ourselves by ourselves.
So how can we solve problems we can’t even see? How do we begin to truly see ourselves and others?
Here’s a peek at “Leadership and Self-Deception” that shows why identifying the actual problem is an important first step.
Only once we are aware of the two mindsets which are at play at any moment or situation and we understand how we may be self-deceived, do we truly become self-aware and start to see ourselves and others without any form of justifications.
This is our role. This is our ongoing journey - to stay focused on others.
This focus changes our experience of the people around us, and ourselves.
Join the journey of Turning the World Outward
Head of Technical Marketing Content at Sanlam Investments (Institutional & Impact Investing)
4 年Depending what box we're in, we may see someone pitiful and weak reflected back at us. In other words, we don't recognize our true potential for a multitude of reasons. Or the converse may hold true: like the cat that looks in the mirror and sees a lion. It's not always about arrogance when it comes to self deception and self awareness....
Life Strategist | Elevating Individuals to Thrive in Life, Business & Relationships Discover ??? Practical Tools & Perspectives to Reach Your Highest Potential.
4 年Self Awareness can be cultivated over time. Through holding a safe and compassionate space we allow ourselves to explore this pivotal question a little more deeply. Thank you for your insight.
Operations Manager Championing Team Culture, Works from anywhere
4 年the million dollar question!