Leadership development is truly a personal journey for which there are no short cuts to greatness. When done correctly, leadership development is both uncomfortable and rewarding, like the effects of working out, it can be painful and good for our body. It takes discipline, introspection, humility, courage, and grace to embark on a journey that requires us to examine our purpose, assumptions, biases, beliefs, values, strengths, and weaknesses. The reality is leadership development, when taken seriously, and invested wholeheartedly is transformational.
If you are reading this, you are aware of the extensive list of leadership development books out there. Many leadership development books talk about the strategies or behaviors a leader should practice such as having 1:1 check-in with their team, expressing appreciation, empowering their team to share ideas, and actively listening, among other behaviors. These are all positive behaviors for leaders to practice, but they are not enough. Leaders need to have a deep understanding of themselves, including what motivates and inspires them, what upsets them, how they handle failure and disappointment, what fears or values drive their decision making, what support they need to feel empowered, etc.
Leadership development begins with self-development of the following skills:
Personal Purpose helps us stay true to our values and beliefs. It keeps us grounded in our mission, brings us joy, and consistently connects us to our why. This can be especially important when we find ourselves faced with unethical circumstances. To get to your personal purpose, start with why? Why am I here? What do I want most?
Vision provides a GPS for the future. Vision keeps us motivated and inspired during challenging and uncertain times. To get to your vision, you must first understand your personal purpose and then ask yourself, where do I see myself, my team/organization and what do I want my legacy to be?
Self-Esteem provides insight into how we see ourselves. We may also think of this as self-confidence. Self-Esteem is the relationship we have with ourselves which is the most meaningful relationship we can have. Our relationship with ourselves will impact the quality of our relationships with others. If we think poorly of ourselves, and find ourselves doubting our abilities, those limiting beliefs will spill over, negatively impacting the quality of our relationships. To assess self-esteem, ask yourself what you are most proud of and what do you want to improve. This insight will speak to confidence and humility.
Self-Awareness provides insight into how others see us. This is where the discomfort begins. Many times, there is a disconnect between how others see us and how we see ourselves. To gain self-awareness takes a great deal of reflection and introspection. To gain self-awareness is to understand yourself and your behaviors. Start by asking yourself the following questions: What are you doing? How do you feel about what you are doing? What don’t you know about yourself? The last question may require external help. Seek objective feedback from others. This can be done informally by asking for constructive feedback or formally by working with a coach and having a 360-survey completed.
Social Awareness allows us to have a deeper understanding of how we see and experience the world around us. This can be done by reflection of the environment, the people in the environment, and the assumptions, values, and beliefs that we may hold of the environment. Simply reflecting on this can increase social awareness. Increased social awareness leads to better relationships.
Leadership development is a true personal and introspective journey that often leads to transformational growth and development. It is both uncomfortable and rewarding. With the right tools, leadership development can be a self-directed process or can be completed in partnership with a leadership coach. For more information on leadership development coaching, contact info@mayravaldez.com.
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