How well do you "KNOW" yourself?

"We know what we are, but know not what we may be."   Hamlet, William Shakespeare.

At some point you finally realize that you are the leader. For many of us, this is a huge realization, because as the leader you are now ultimately accountable for all facets of the business and ultimately the success of the business. Being a leader means others are following you. It also implies that you know where you are going and people trust that you do the right things, the right way, at the right time. Lastly, they trust that you are capable to making all this happen.

What’s "In" You?

The word “leader” doesn’t refer to the actual task involved, like “plumber” or “programmer” or “teacher” or even “manager”.  Rather, “leader” evokes qualities such as: vision, wisdom, mentor, strength, integrity, confidence – all traits that we tend to associate with great leadership.

So if leadership is about the person, not about the work that person does, then as an effective leader you need to know yourself and to continually develop yourself to be more of that person – the Leader – you want to be.

In the book The Leadership Challenge, it was written, “The quest for leadership is first an inner quest to discover who you are. Through self-development comes the confidence needed to lead. Self-confidence is really awareness of and faith in your own powers. These powers become clear and strong only as you work to identify and develop them.”

Self-Knowledge

What are you looking for in this quest for self-knowledge? While there are many possibilities, these challenging steps guide you as dig into a better understanding of yourself.

1. Know and document your personal values and beliefs, and those of your company

Values are ideals, qualities, and entities, that people consider desirable in themselves and others; they are the things that are most important to us and how we are ‘hard-wired’. Beliefs are ideas that you have accepted as true, whether or not they can be proved. One person may believe very strongly that an assumption is true and another person might argue, just as convincingly, that it is not.

While values and beliefs are not identical, they are very related to one another. Knowing and stating clearly what values and beliefs you hold, gives you important insight into your motivations – and subsequently why you act the way you do. It also gives you further clarity in effective communications with others.

2. Awareness of your assumptions

An assumption is something supposed, and something taken for granted. An assumption is like a belief, in that it is perceived as the truth, even though it is not known for sure whether it is true or not. We are often not aware of the assumptions under which we operate.

Your challenge is to become aware when your actions or reactions are the results of assumptions, and then be willing to find out if these assumptions are correct or not. When you learn to question your assumptions, you see other people differently and you become more competent and focused in your actions.

3. Understand your impact on others

Impact is how you make other people feel. It happens by the way you look, the way you talk and listen, the way you respond, your physical presence, even by what people have heard about you. By seeking to understand your impact on others you can learn more about yourself and relationships around you. This makes you a better leader, and a better person.

4. Recognize those “hard” things – and overcome them

There are some things that are just plain “hard” for you, and you’ve probably become expert at avoiding them. You may be so good at it that you don’t even realize when you do it. You may call them weaknesses, inabilities, or your “nature”.

What kinds of things? Things like delegating work to others, telling employees that you’re unhappy with their performance and why, and speaking in front of large groups of people. Start by facing those “hard” things that are preventing you from achieving what you really want. When avoidance of those “hard” things becomes habitual you ultimately lose the ability to choose. When you give up your ability to choose, you relinquish your ability to make decisions, and take the “right action” – this seriously damages your effectiveness as a leader.

5. Embrace the unknown

Being in the unknown is uncomfortable. You don’t have all the facts. You don’t fully understand what’s happening or you are not sure what will happen next. It means you’re not the expert and others may know more than you. Effective leadership views the unknown differently. It’s okay not to know. It’s okay not to be the expert. It’s okay to ask other people’s advice and opinions. If you’re the “expert”, you miss new information and ideas.