Great Leaders Start Here
Like so many middle school and high school students, I struggled to find my place and feel like I fit. I was quiet in crowds; I was a deep feeler and deep thinker. While I was organized and conscientious about my assignments, you could also find me daydreaming ideas for something I wanted to write or create. The love of learning was instilled in me from an early age and I almost always had a book (or two) that I was reading.
The start of college was a little better for me, but I often found myself feeling so very different from the people around me. I struggled to understand myself and what made me tick and despite having an innate intuition about other’s feelings and behavior I also struggled in relationships.
My junior year I took a Theory of Personalities class. Our class took the Myers Briggs personality test. As my professor began to walk through the different personality combinations he began to describe mine including the patterns and behaviors that were often displayed by my type, it was though the lights turned on, a choir of angels started singing, and a dense fog rolled away. Dramatic, I know but it was a huge moment for me. I recognized that living in a college dorm and being on campus I rarely found time by myself and that drained me. Being introspective, creative, and my deep commitment to my values weren’t some weird anomalies but had an explanation and could be assets. That self-awareness changed my understanding of myself, my relationships, and eventually my career.
The journey of understanding our strengths and weaknesses, how we tend to function in certain settings, and what brings us joy and fulfillment in our work and life is vital to leadership. This is where great leaders start: self-awareness.
Whether the only person you lead is yourself, you lead in your family, or you have dozens of people reporting to you, self-awareness is a critical building block to your success as a leader. Good leaders know their strengths and weaknesses, they understand what assets they bring to their role, they are aware of their character, and their areas of growth. Great leaders continue to learn, grow, and develop their self-awareness.
Coach’s Challenge:
Take a quick inventory:
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What are areas you need to develop and grow?
Take an assessment:
Myers Briggs (16personalities.com) - Free
The Working Genius (https://www.workinggenius.com) - Cost
Predictable Success Leadership Quiz (https://predictablesuccess.com/ps-styles-quiz/) – Free
Set up a Coaching Session:
Walk through your results to better understand your strengths/weaknesses and development areas and how to best apply what you learn.
