Leadership and Self Awareness

Transcription

1 Leadership and Self Awareness KATHLEEN MCCOMBER, SPHR, SHRM SCP, CCP, CBP Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something. Alan Keith, Lucas Digital 1

2 Self awareness: Being conscious of what you are good at while acknowledging what you still have yet to learn. All successful leaders need this quality: Self awareness Study conducted in 2010 by Green Peak Partners and Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations Study examined 72 executives at public and private companies Study examined a number of executive interpersonal traits Study showed a high self awareness score was the strongest predictor of overall success as a leader Self awareness is a critical trait for successful leaders Executives aware of their weaknesses hire those who perform where the executives does not 2

3 Self awareness is not a marquee leadership quality like: Vision Charisma Strategic thinking Ability to speak eloquently How were these leaders perceived? 3

4 Self awareness is: A quieter ancillary quality that enables the high octane ones to work It is a psychological catalyst Why is Self awareness Important? Learning and development are lifelong endeavors Learning does not end just because someone reaches a certain station in life Failing to understand self awareness as a leader means the leader fails to understand their own true potential 4

5 Socrates said, Know thyself and An unexamined life is not worth living. Embrace these five things to be more self aware 1.Never stop learning 2.Context matters 3.Be kind 4.Surrender 5.Begin the process of unlearning 5

6 Never Stop Learning Make your own development a priority Continue to invest in yourself and your team Do not assume you have reached the pinnacle of your profession Context Matters The working environment is never static Leadership is not a one size fits all endeavor Leaders apply their craft contextually based upon the needs of those whom they serve 6

7 Be Kind People go out of their way to help those whom they like People won t lift a finger to help those they do not care for Smart leaders are purposed to build into those they lead Leaders understand success is found by ensuring those whom they lead are better off for being led. Mean, arrogant, or belittling behavior feeds the ego, it doesn t serve in the best interest of the leader 7

8 Surrender Leaders simply operate at their best when they understand their ability to influence is much more fruitful than their ability to control Leadership's purpose is not to shine the spotlight on the leader, but to unlock the potential of others, so they can in turn shine the spotlight on countless more Control is about power not leadership Surrender allows a leader to get out of their own way and focus on adding value to those whom they serve Leaders forget the span of control and think span of influence Begin the Process of Unlearning Shedding the emotional intellectual baggage trapping leaders is just as important as learning Human nature causes most leaders to hold onto wrong, unhealthy, or outdated ideas, concepts, thoughts, feelings or practices Becoming more self aware is to challenge logic 8

9 Benefits of Self awareness Take responsibility for what you know Know your strengths and weaknesses which leads to trust and increased credibility Model to others it s okay to admit you don t have all the answer which benefits your organization Know when strength might be played out Do not overplay a strength which then becomes a weakness Do see yourself as others so easily see you Always ask for feedback and listen Solicit Feedback Use some type of assessment 360 multi rater Leadership reviews Daily reflect on the day s events, how did people react Acquire and master emotional intelligence Use other tools Myers Briggs Social Styles Birkman profiles Emotional Intelligence eq quiz 9

10 Ask Good Questions Asking questions models a solid, transparent approach to problem solving and decisionmaking Modeling habits of good self awareness helps create a more self aware organization Listen without Justifying Listen without justifying the actions made or people will stop giving feedback Do not defend the actions Do listen and accept feedback without defending the action When listening the feedback is more likely to be heard, increasing the credibility with the person giving the feedback A bond of trust will be created that will enable the person to continue providing useful feedback in the future 10

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