Know Thyself Before Leading Others

How important is getting to know yourself in your progress as a competent leader?

Getting to know yourself is a foundational and crucial aspect of progress as a competent leader. Self-awareness is a key component of emotional intelligence, and it plays a significant role in shaping a leader's ability to make informed decisions, build effective relationships, and navigate the challenges of leadership.

There are many reasons why  knowing yourself is so important for leadership development. Here are some of those:

1. Understanding Strengths and Weaknesses

Self-awareness allows leaders to identify, leverage, and stretch themselves in their strengths while acknowledging and addressing their weaknesses or areas for improvement as I like to call them. This knowledge enables leaders to build on their capabilities and seek support or development in areas that may require improvement.

 We must bear in mind that not every area for improvement requires major development as some can be delegated to people who possess them as strengths, which indicates the importance of having a strong diverse team. It’s the awareness of those that is very important for leaders especially.

2. Effective Decision-Making

Leaders who know themselves well are better equipped to make decisions aligned with their values, principles, and long-term goals. This authenticity in decision-making creates trust and respect among team members.

3. Building Authentic Relationships

Authentic leadership is based on genuine self-awareness. Leaders who understand their values, beliefs, and motivations can build more authentic and meaningful relationships with their team members. This authenticity contributes to a positive organizational culture. Again, whatever kind of leadership we discuss, it so often comes back to your ability to build lasting relationships to increase your influence as a leader.

As my friend and mentor, John Maxwell states:

“If you are a leader and nobody is following, you are merely taking a walk.”

4. Adaptability and Resilience

Self-aware leaders are more adaptable and resilient in the face of challenges. They understand their emotional responses to stress and pressure, allowing them to regulate their emotions and make rational decisions even in difficult situations.

Some personality assessments show how people respond under pressure, as well as their leadership strengths. This information is invaluable when major challenges present themselves….and they will. 

5. Effective Communication

Communication is a vital leadership skill. Knowing yourself helps you as a leader communicate more effectively by understanding how your communication style and messages may be received by others. This awareness promotes clearer and more impactful communication.

It also allows for leaders to include other people’s styles in their communication, thus connecting better with those they lead, their peers, and their clients.

6. Motivation and Goal Setting

Leaders who are self-aware can align their goals and aspirations with their values and passions. This alignment provides intrinsic motivation, driving leaders to pursue their objectives with enthusiasm and commitment.

As a Values Based Leadership Specialist I will have an edition of my newsletter dedicated entirely to the power and necessity of values in leadership, in the near future.

7. Continuous Learning and Development

Self-aware leaders are more open to continuous learning and personal development. They actively seek feedback, embrace opportunities for growth, and are willing to adapt their leadership style based on new insights and experiences.

I cannot stress enough the importance of intentional daily personal development as a leader….or as any person for that matter. But when you are aware of what exactly you should focus on in that development, you become more effective in your personal growth journey.

8. Conflict Resolution

Conflict is inevitable in any leadership role. Leaders who know themselves can navigate conflicts more effectively by firstly understanding their own triggers and biases.

This awareness helps in approaching conflicts with empathy and finding constructive resolutions. Sometimes, leaders have to invite other members of the team, or even outside resources, to assist in resolving issues in the organization.

With our Ki Leadership Institute, we have been in such situations on more than several occasions to assist in a solution acceptable to all parties involved.

From extracts of ancient writings, and quotes by Socrates and other wise men and women, to a number of books written about knowing thyself, it shows that this subject has been discussed around the world for many centuries.

This indicates that self-awareness is not merely a valuable asset for every person alive, but also a fundamental prerequisite for competent leadership.

Leaders who invest time and effort in getting to know themselves lay the groundwork for personal and professional growth, developing a leadership style that is authentic, adaptable, and effective in leading teams toward success.

Sometimes, when people see the word ‘assessment’ or ‘test’ they already become weary as they assume this will put them in yet another box. I explain to them that we have been put in boxes since we were born, by family and well-meaning friend, by teachers, colleagues, and our seniors, and that we even have added more than a few boxes of our own. This is maybe the first time we take ourselves out of a box when we finally get to really know ourselves.

As a Behaviour Analysis Consultant and Trainer I have the privilege to work with leaders as well as entire organizations to assist in their amazing discovery of self. It is an absolute pleasure to see how people are so often pleasantly surprised by the results and explanation of who they are, and how this can help them in their family life, their business, and even their social environment and many are eager to put this into practice straight away.

About Jan Robberts:

Having studied personal development and leadership since he was 17, he also gained tremendous experience in leadership, communication, and coaching, working directly with Leadership greats, such as John Maxwell and Les Brown.

He travelled around the world in the oil industry for several decades, so he intentionally and consistently worked on his personal growth whilst supervising and project managing multi-million dollar projects. This has developed and added tremendous value to his journey, personal growth and expertise. 

Jan is known as a Global Influencer & Self-Leadership Strategist. He is co-Founder of Ki Leadership Institute & Founder of JRs Speakers Club. He is a professional Leadership Keynote Speaker, Leadership and personal development Coach, Self-care strategist, Behavioural Analysis Consultant & Values Based Leadership Specialist and to date, has spoken and trained on 4 continents.

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