Self-awareness in executive coaching
Self-awareness is one of the most important tools you can have as an executive leader in your leadership toolkit. Understanding yourself gives you the ability to understand your emotions and behaviours. Therefore, it helps you understand who you are and how you can develop.
Being self-aware is fundamental to your success as an executive leader. Being able to assess yourself can give clarity around what you are able to achieve. One of the hardest things to do is to be able to hold a mirror up and take a close look at yourself, with all filters off. Thus, it helps you to understand your strengths and your weaknesses.
Self-awareness puts you in a better position to develop great working relations and interpersonal relationships with others. It also helps you identify how your actions impact others. It underpins how you act towards people and their perception of it. Self-awareness also leads to a deeper understanding of other peoples’ feelings.
Self-awareness and Comfort Zone
As a self-aware executive leader, you’ll know your comfort zone. You’ll understand what pushes you outside your comfort zone. You are aware of your boundaries and when you are pushing boundaries. More importantly, you are aware of the impact it might have on you and others. You are able to understand when others are out of their comfort zone and how that might impact them and others.
In practice, this helps you understand when you are under pressure. How you behave when you are under pressure and how that might impact you and others. You are also able to identify when others around you are under pressure. You’ll be able to effectively manage your teams and support them to cope better.
Executive Leader: Self-awareness and Mindfulness
Being an executive leader can sometimes put individuals under pressure. There are expectations from leaders behaviours, accountability and results. As a self-aware executive, the ability to identify your emotions and behaviours and their impact are useful in self-regulation. You will be in a stronger position to use mindfulness techniques to help you manage stressful and pressurised situations.
You are also likely to be more empathetic towards others. You’ll be able to dwell on your experience to support your team and to effectively manage them. You feel more connected to your team and they will connect with you at a more personal level.
How can Executive Coaching help you to become self-aware?
Executive coaching can help you become self-aware by helping you to gain a deeper understanding of who you are. Your coach will help you understand your emotions and behaviours. Knowing your comfort zone and challenging you to get outside your comfort zone. Embarking on a self-aware journey with your coach can empower you to become a great leader, unlocking your potential to be the best you.