Why Self-Awareness is the Key to Being More

If you’ve been around Blue Shirt Coaching for any length of time, you’ve hopefully heard me talk about self-awareness and the importance of being a self-aware leader. Being self-aware allows you to understand your strengths, weaknesses, values, and emotions, and how they influence your leadership style and decision-making. 

As you start to explore ways to become more self-aware, I want to remind you that being self-aware is all about Being More.

Be more of who you were created to be and learn your gifts, talents, limitations, and opportunities. Be more of yourself and embrace who you are. Be aware of how you are and appear to others. Be confident in who you are and bold in this.

Practically speaking, what does this look like? There are so many ways to become more self-aware, but I’m going to give you two mindsets and two habits to focus on. 

The Values-Focused Mindset

• Start by identifying 5-7 values that really matter to you. These values should be the core of who you are both in your business and in your home life. They define who you are and how you make decisions. 
• Reflect on the fundamental principles that guide your life and work. What do you believe in? What principles do you hold dear? These could include integrity, honesty, transparency, innovation, collaboration, social responsibility, or any other values that resonate with you.
• Assess how these values play out in the workplace. As you interact with employees and customers, make decisions, plan for the future and deal with conflicts, are your values guiding your actions?
• Can you tell what your values are when you look at how you spend your time, money, and energy?

The Trusting Mindset

• Trusting yourself plays a big role in developing a deeper understanding of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
• Be honest with yourself about your own skills, strengths, and weaknesses. Accept who you are and embrace it. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge your own insecurities and be vulnerable.
• Trust your intuition. Trust that gut feeling that comes from past experiences, knowledge, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 
• Having a trusting mindset allows you to be real with yourself and real with those around you because you are authentic, true to your values, and able to learn from and work through whatever comes up in your business.

The Writing Habit

• Benefits of writing/journaling include (but are not limited to)
  • Reduced stress
  • Improved immune function
  • Improved memory
  • Elevated mood
  • Healthier emotional responses
• Start by deciding whether you want to journal on paper on digitally.
• Don’t make it harder than it has to be! Start with one or two sentences reflecting on your day. List three things you’re grateful for. Use it as a tool for problem-solving. Write down new ideas that come to mind.
• Remember that there are no right or wrong ways to journal—simply allow your thoughts and reflections to flow authentically onto the page.

The Coachee Habit

• This habit is about seeking out a coach or a mentor. Every hero needs a guide and you are no different.
• Ask for feedback from colleagues and fellow employees. Take the feedback to heart. 
• Listen and be open to new ideas. There might be better ways to do things. Check your ego at the door and be willing to listen, to change, to explore new ideas. 

Remember that self-awareness is a journey. So is leadership. As your leadership journey progresses, continually reflect on how you are doing as a leader. What are your strengths? Where can you grow? Are you still living true to your values? Being a self-aware leader will not only benefit you, but it will benefit everyone around you as well.