Self Awareness & Learning: Seminar

Self-awareness is the ability to tune into our feelings, thoughts, and actions to identify our emotions and direct our actions. To be self-aware, we need to recognize our we see ourselves as well as how others see us. Individuals who are self-aware recognize their strengths and weaknesses and work toward growth. The benefits of self-awareness include self-development, developing an ability to see things from a different perspective, increased situational awareness, stronger self-confidence, and better decision-making. Individual with high levels of self-awareness understand and talk about their needs and feelings, recognize other people’s needs and feelings, are open to feedback and aware that they have blind spots.

Techniques such as creating personal time/space, practicing listening, adopting mindfulness and journaling to capture awareness can be used to increase one’s self-awareness. Valuable feedback comes from loving critics – those that know you but are not biased while having your best interests in mind. Loving critics are willing to tell the truth. If you solicit feedback you need to be prepared to use that feedback.

There is a difference between being a leader and being a self-aware leader. Self-aware leaders know personal strengths and value the ability from those around them. Self-aware leaders are informed about unintentional biases and how to avoid them. Self-aware leaders also promote self-awareness on their team. Maintaining a growth mindset requires a commitment to learn while leading others and admitting that as a leader, you do not have all the answers. Self-aware leaders know their values and pay attention to emotions. They realize their values are reflected in their leadership. Developing self-awareness requires: looking at yourself objectively, reflection (such as journaling), establishing personal goals, knowing strengths and weaknesses, practicing mindfulness, being open to critical feedback.