What is self-awareness and why is it important for an IT leader

What is self-awareness and why is it important for an IT leader

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If you want to be happier, have more influence, make better decisions and be a more effective leader, self-awareness is a necessary skill. It is probably the most important skill for a leader. It's what will keep you on track to be the best version of you and, by implication, become a better leader.

What is self-awareness?

Self-awareness involves being aware of various aspects of the self, including traits, behaviors, and feelings. In essence, it is a psychological state in which one's self becomes the center of attention.

Self-awareness it is one of the first components of the self-concept to emerge. It is the ability to focus on yourself and how your actions, thoughts, or emotions do or do not align with the standards you have set.

Simply put, those with this ability can interpret their actions, feelings, and thoughts objectively. It's a rare and difficult skill to develop on your own because many of us enter into a game of interpreting our actions based on emotions.

Why is self-awareness important?

Developing self-awareness is important because it allows leaders to self-assess and change their "direction" or behavior when necessary. Even though many think they master this skill, in reality, only approximately 10-15% of people do this.

When we look introspectively, we can clarify our values, thoughts, feelings, behaviors, strengths, and weaknesses. We are able to recognize the effect we have on others. right studied, self-aware people are happier and have better relationships. They also experience a sense of personal and social control, as well as greater job satisfaction.

When we look outward, we understand how people see us. People who are aware of how people see them are more likely to empathize with people with different perspectives. Leaders whose self-perceptions match the perceptions of others are more likely to empower, include, and recognize others.

The benefits of self-awareness

  • It gives us the power to influence outcomes;
  • It helps us make better decisions;
  • It gives us more confidence in ourselves;
  • It allows us to understand things from multiple perspectives;
  • It frees us from our assumptions and prejudices;
  • It helps us build better relationships;
  • It gives us a greater ability to control our emotions;
  • Reduces stress;
  • It makes us happier.

How to gain self-awareness

Visualize the best version of you

Everything starts from a thought. Think about how you want to be in a few months or a few years and act like that person. The phrase "fake it till you make it" often has a material aura associated with it, but it can be an important vector if you think about progress. If you try to act like the person you want to become, you'll end up making the same decisions without thinking about them.

Analyze what is happening around you

Most wild animals make certain decisions on impulse. These impulses developed over time and led to self-defense mechanisms. Many times, it is also true in humans. For example, when someone criticizes your idea, you instantly feel that person is attacking you, and the human mind goes into a defensive state. Analyze these scenarios and control your impulses like that with logical arguments.

Ask other people's opinions

Another good way to analyze yourself is to ask the opinion of people close to you, such as friends or family. If you are specific, you will receive a more specific answer. Ask them how they would like to see you behave in certain situations and how they see you in general.

Keep a journal

If you write in a journal every day with everything you did that day, you can pay attention to what is happening in your life. It will also help you recognize patterns or similarities between multiple days. That way, you can see where you went wrong and think twice before making a similar decision.

Ask the right questions

Our instinct is to ask "why?". Questions like "why did this happen?", "why can't I do this", etc. Through these questions, our subconscious goes towards negative thoughts and helplessness. Instead, we might ask "what?". Questions like "what can I do better?", "what happened today?" to. can bring you some benefits in the way of thinking. Everything starts from this. It is no coincidence that rich people claim that instead of thinking "I can't afford this", they think "how can I afford this?". Through this question, our mind begins to search for answers, instead of going into a state of denial and helplessness.

If you're still wondering "what good is my self-awareness?", the answer is very simple - to become the best version of you. Ultimately, this should be the goal of every self-improvement person. Self-awareness helps you become the man and leader others need and is indispensable.

We know how difficult it is for you to train or find a leader for your technical team. We know that technical people do not agree to any training. How do we know? Because we have been running team learning programs for over 20 years. Although many of your colleagues are excited about the idea of ​​being promoted, they soon find themselves facing team management challenges such as communication, team motivation and development, decision making and delegation.

Our program Leadership MBA is designed to give your team leaders the immediately applicable knowledge, tools and skills they need in their new role. Based on studies Learner Persona regarding the particularities and learning preferences of Team Leaders in tech, the program offers a experiential learning journey for the duration of 3-4 months depending on the optimal dynamics for the organization and participants. This starts from self-awareness and understanding the role of team leader, then continues with team motivation and communication and finally addresses team performance.