The Most Powerful Leadership Habit That Nobody Tells You About
This is the root habit that influences all other habits of successful leaders
Whether you are an aspiring leader or a seasoned executive, you are likely curious to learn about the habits of other successful leaders.
The question that often pops up in our minds is:
What do great leaders do every day?
Countless books have been written over the past many centuries on the many habits of great leaders.
From decisiveness, to clarity of purpose, to being empathetic — great leaders seem to have mastered them all.
But if I were to ask you: what is one habit that is most fundamental, and in a way the root of all other great habits, what would be your response?
There is one crucial leadership habit that is less talked about, yet holds the power to transform both leaders and their teams.
This is the habit of “radical self-awareness”
In this article, I will discuss what radical self-awareness is, why it is important, and how you can cultivate this crucial habit to level-up your leadership.
What is radical self-awareness?
Self-awareness, in its essence, is your ability to recognize and understand your own emotions, thoughts, strengths, weaknesses, values, and motivations.
It’s about having a deep understanding of what drives you, how you operate as an individual and how your actions and behaviors impact those around you.
While it may seem like a basic concept, the practice of radical self-awareness takes it to a whole new level.
So, what exactly is radical self-awareness in the context of leadership, and why is it so powerful?
When you are radically self-aware, you are committed to self-reflection and introspection.
You continuously question your assumptions, and keep a watch on your biases.
You are brutally honest with yourself, and don’t hesitate to acknowledge your weaknesses and areas for development.
Why radical self-awareness is important
As I mentioned earlier, radical self-awareness is a core habit, and influences many other great habits in leaders.
Authenticity
When you have a deep understanding of who you are, you lead with greater authenticity, integrity, and transparency.
You have nothing to hide, and do not have a false impression of yourself.
When you are open in your communication, you come across as trustworthy to your team, and to your stakeholders. This helps to build the credibility, and lays the foundation for effective collaboration in your team.
Adaptability
When you are self-aware, you are better able to understand and appreciate your impact on others.
You become more sensitive to your words, your actions and behaviors. You are able to adapt easily to the situation, the audience and circumstances.
This adaptability makes you much more effective as you go about your work as a leader, and allows you to cater your style that best fits the situation.
Professional growth
When you are radically self-aware, you know the skills that you lack, and the areas where you may be falling short on your potential.
Armed with this knowledge you then actively seek ways and opportunities to learn new skills and grow professionally.
Your desire to grow and learn is not just limited to you. You create an environment in your team where everyone is given a chance to learn and grow professionally.
So, how can leaders cultivate the habit of radical self-awareness?
Being radically self-aware is far from easy.
At its core, you need to be willing to embrace discomfort and vulnerability. Being emotional beings, it is not easy to confront aspects of ourselves that we’re not super proud of, or to challenge our ego.
But the reality is that only if you confront those truths head-on can you truly grow and evolve as a leader.
Some of the strategies you can adopt to becoming more self-aware are:
Journaling: journal every day to reflect on your thoughts, experience, and how your day went. If you do this consistently, you will see patterns emerge on common themes of areas that you may not have been aware of earlier.
Meditation: if you can, meditate every day for a few minutes to quieten your mind, and as you do that you will observe what your ‘monkey mind’ is thinking about. These recurring thoughts will help you to identify areas that you can potentially work on.
Feedback: feedback is always a gift, and the more you can get it, the better. Try to get feedback from your peers, your leadership, mentors and your team. Feedback serves as a reality check, and often clears some of our blind spots that we may be living with all our lives.
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