Here's how you can harness self-awareness for career growth as a change-seeking leader.

At this stage in my career, self-awareness is crucial. By regularly assessing my core values, passions, and the aspects of my job that truly fulfill me, I ensure I’m not just advancing, but doing so in a direction that resonates with my personal goals. Feedback from peers and mentors is invaluable, helping me understand how my unique skills and relationships contribute to our collective success. This holistic approach supports my growth both personally and professionally.

There are great tools, such as the ABCD chart, that help to discover strengths and preferences (and as a side effect, you become happier!!) in your cognitive and social work (= being with others). However, these tools should be a starting point and cannot replace the value of a guided holistic self-assessment with the help of a leadership coach. As a psychologist, I am a big fan of personality assessments such as the MBTI, DiSC, or the Big Five Personality Traits (which provide insights into personality and behavior) or emotional intelligence (EI) assessments such as the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) (which help understand emotional areas for development). Invest in your growth, not only for your career, but also as a person.

As a change-seeking leader, using self-awareness for career growth starts with knowing yourself—your strengths, weaknesses, values, and motivations. Regularly think about your actions and decisions to see how they match your goals and affect your team. Ask for feedback from colleagues and mentors to get different views on your performance. Use this information to make better decisions, adjust your leadership style, and keep improving. Being self-aware helps you find areas to develop, use your strengths well, and guide your career with clear purpose.

Embrace Self-Reflection Engage in regular introspection to recognize your values, strengths, and weaknesses. Understand your emotions, motivations, and thought patterns. Schedule time for self-reflection, ask yourself questions, and explore your experiences to gain deeper insights.

Harnessing self-awareness is pivotal for career growth as a change-seeking leader. Here are three actionable steps: Conduct Self-Assessments: Regularly assess your core values, passions, strengths, and weaknesses. Tools like MBTI, DiSC, and the Big Five Personality Traits provide valuable insights. Seek Feedback: Actively seek feedback from peers and mentors to highlight blind spots and areas for improvement, helping you adjust your leadership style. Engage in Self-Reflection: Schedule time for introspection to understand your emotions, motivations, and thought patterns. By knowing yourself and embracing feedback, you can leverage your strengths and guide your career with clear purpose.

Within the executive coaching and leadership development sphere, feedback serves as a potent catalyst for self-improvement. Based on my professional experience, actively seeking constructive criticism is vital for growth. Engaging with colleagues, mentors, and even friends can provide invaluable insights into your leadership style, decision-making, and interpersonal skills. It's crucial to remember that the objective is not to accumulate praise but to reveal blind spots potentially holding you back. Embrace this feedback with an open mind and consider it as a foundation for both personal and professional development. As a coach or aspiring leader, I strongly encourage you to engage in this reflective process.

Seeking feedback is essential for increasing self-awareness and career growth. Here are three actionable steps: Actively Seek Constructive Criticism: Reach out to colleagues, mentors, and friends for honest feedback on your leadership style, decision-making process, and interpersonal skills. Listen Carefully: Pay close attention to their perspectives to uncover blind spots that may be hindering your growth. The goal is to identify areas for improvement, not just to receive praise. Embrace and Act on Feedback: Approach feedback with an open mind and use it as a foundation for personal and professional development.

Seek Feedback Ask for constructive feedback from others to gain new insights and perspectives on your leadership style and impact. Encourage open communication, create a safe environment, and be receptive to diverse viewpoints. Use feedback to identify areas for growth and development.

Feedback is a gift! When I first became a manager I lacked self-awareness and it held me back until a manager took me under his wing and gave me feedback that was hard to hear. He helped me gain self-awareness, showed me both my strengths and weaknesses and propelled my career by helping me make the changes I needed to become an effective leader and manager. The feedback I received is a gift that keeps on giving and has allowed me to more readily accept feedback and grow in ways that I would not have been possible without it.

Develop Emotional Intelligence Cultivate self-awareness to better understand and manage your emotions, as well as empathize with others. Recognize emotional triggers, practice empathy, and develop effective relationships. Emotional intelligence will help you navigate complex situations and build strong connections.

As a change-seeking leader, using self-awareness for career growth relies on emotional intelligence. Know your strengths, weaknesses, and triggers. Reflect on how your actions impact your team and your goals. Ask for feedback from colleagues and mentors to see different perspectives and improve. Emotional intelligence helps you handle challenges, build better relationships, and adjust your leadership style to motivate your team. By being self-aware and emotionally intelligent, you can drive positive change and grow in your career.

Desenvolver sua Inteligência Emocional (IE) pode transformar sua Liderança. Ao começar com a autoconsciência emocional, você entende melhor suas próprias emoções e seus gatilhos, levando a decisões mais conscientes e assertivas. Autogestão permite controlar impulsos e reagir de maneira equilibrada, mesmo em estresse, criando 1 ambiente de trabalho mais harmonioso. Com a Empatia, você se conecta melhor c/ sua equipe, entendendo necessidades e preocupações, fortalecendo colaboração e a confiança. Habilidades sociais aprimoradas facilitam a resolução de conflitos, resultando em uma equipe mais coesa e produtiva. A motivação interna mantém você focado e resiliente, superando desafios com uma mentalidade positiva. Tem muitos outros Benefícios!!!

Asegurar que las metas tengan un impacto tangible en tu desarrollo personal y profesional, así como en la organización. Preguntarse cómo cada meta contribuirá a los objetivos más amplios del equipo y de la empresa. Desde el punto de vista personal y profesional, preguntarse donde quieres estar en 5 años y qué tiene pasar en los próximos 12 meses para poder llegar hasta esa visión de más largo plazo.

Recognize Your Leadership Style Understand how your personality, values, and experiences influence your leadership approach. Identify your strengths and weaknesses, and how they impact your team. Recognize how your leadership style may need to adapt to different situations and teams.

Develop a love for learning and you will go far. If there is ever a time you feel you have mastered all there is in your craft then you likely have blinders on. Never stop learning new skills and developing your current ones. Learning doesn't have to be in a formal setting, it can be done through reading, conversation, self-discovery, and many other ways. Always look for new tools to add to your arsenal of skills.

Você está constantemente evoluindo ou estagnado na sua jornada de liderança? O autoconhecimento é dinâmico e requer um compromisso com a aprendizagem contínua. Aproveitar oportunidades de desenvolvimento profissional, seja por meio de treinamento, leitura ou novas experiências, é essencial. Como Líder, sua curiosidade pelas mais recentes teorias e práticas de liderança pode ser o diferencial entre a mediocridade e a excelência. Manter-se atualizado e reflexivo sobre sua aplicação prática garante que suas habilidades estejam sempre afiadas e suas perspectivas de carreira brilhantes. Transformar-se constantemente não é apenas o próximo passo, é parte constante e inevitável de sua Evolução Permanente.

Human beings are evolutionary creatures. Because of this, there's no such thing as "arriving" (if you think you've "arrived" and start coasting, the chances are you'll soon experience the early signs of burnout). Developing skills, acquiring information, and improving your leadership practices and processes will not only help you avoid boredom and burnout, it will ensure that you maintain your effectiveness and influence as a leader.

Identify Blind Spots Be aware of potential biases and assumptions that may impact your decision-making and relationships. Recognize when you may be operating from a limited perspective and seek diverse viewpoints. Identify areas where you may need to challenge your own assumptions.

Foster a Growth Mindset Embrace challenges and opportunities for growth, and be open to learning from failures. Believe that your abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Focus on progress, not perfection, and embrace lifelong learning.

Practice Mindfulness Regularly engage in mindfulness practices to increase self-awareness and improve emotional regulation. Mindfulness can help you stay present, focused, and aware of your thoughts and emotions. Explore mindfulness techniques like meditation or deep breathing to find what works for you.