Why Self-Awareness is Important in Leadership Development
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Why Self-Awareness is Important in Leadership Development

My parents invested thousands of dollars in dance lessons for my sister and me growing up.?When I try to dance to Single Ladies by Beyonce in the kitchen I can’t help but think that was money well spent.??

Anyway …?

One dance recital we had in high school, my team and I performed to a Grease hit.?I remember being in love with the song, the choreography, and the costumes.?I also remember my parents being in the audience with their mega-large camcorder.?This performance, I decided, was going to be the one where I went ALL OUT.?And I did.?It felt awesome.

Flash forward to the next day when we watched the tape.?I was SHOCKED!?I was out of control, exaggerated in my moves, and I tried to own the show … not be a part of my team.?To say I was embarrassed was an understatement.?To this day, I’m surprised I didn’t hear my parents, or any parents around them, say “Oh my!?What the heck’s wrong with that girl?” on the recording.

In my mind, I was a star.?In reality, I was a spaz.?That’s a pretty HUGE disconnect.

This experience has served as a touchstone for me throughout my life.?How we see ourselves, and how we show up, can be two completely different experiences.?That's where self-awareness comes into play.?

As an example:

  • We can see ourselves as decisive and commanding, whereas others can see us as micromanaging and autocratic.
  • We can see it as funny and gregarious, whereas others can see us as mean-spirited and over the top.
  • We can see ourselves as uncreative and lacking originality, whereas others view our ideas as unique and innovative.

So … who’s right??To be honest, being “right” shouldn’t be the goal for any of us.?The better goal is to be open to feedback on how others experience us and our leadership so we can have congruence between how we view ourselves and how others perceive us. (Read More)


Angie (Morgan) Witkowski is the NY Times Best-Selling author of SPARK, Leading from the Front, and Bet on You.?She's a leadership coach, talk show host, and keynote speaker whose service in the United States Marine Corps inspires much of her work.?Learn more about Angie

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