Self-Awareness
David is 50 years of age and healthy. He schedules time every year to learn and be coached. He understands his own competencies, passions and limitations. He does not try to be a super hero. What you don’t know about David is that he is the owner of a very successful multi-national family owned company. He is a humble person with no need to please people. He is secure in himself while aware of the lessons he learned from past mistakes. If you ask David, why is he so successful and yet so humble, he would answer, “I learned from a young age to understand who I am; I know my weaknesses and I keep to what I am good at while appreciating the competencies of others. I cannot master someone else; I can only master myself, which is my first priority. I must take responsibility to grow my own leadership style.
Leadership is both talent and discipline. Leaders who are healthy long term are those who live intentionally. They work on their unique skills. They embrace their own purpose and they learn from the lessons life brings them. It breaks my heart to see leaders trying to copy each other. Although we can learn from other leaders, we should not try and be like them. There is no cookie-cutter model for leadership. Each leader has its own unique talents, personality, purpose and values. All leaders should be given the room to find and develop their own style.
Here are a few tips and questions to help you grow in your self-awareness and leadership style:
- Take regular time to reflect on your successes and crises as a leader.
- How did you achieve the success?
- What lead to the crises?
- What can you learn from the crises?
- Discover your own talents, passions and purpose.
- How do you use your talents in your leadership?
- What type of leader do you want to be?
- What do you value in life?
- How can you implement your values in your leadership style?
Being a leader and growing in your leadership style is a daunting yet exciting journey.
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