Leadership Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness, Leadership, and Reducing Stress at Work - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness, Leadership, and Reducing Stress at Work

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Leaders who possess self-awareness are able to reduce stress at work because they understand how their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors can lead to a more calm, positive mindset.

Many leaders run around in a perpetual state of stress but did you know you can do some basic things to interrupt this pattern? Being stressed is a natural reaction if you’re being chased by a lion but can cause all kinds of problems if you are feeling it all the time in your workplace. Think of the following ideas to reduce your stress at work.

  1. Do things you love for a living. This will help you avoid the stress from doing a job you hate.
  2. Surround yourself with supportive people. Make sure that you interact with people who respect you for who you are.
  3. Limit the overwhelm. You don’t have to take on everything at once.  Do one thing well and move on to the next.
  4. Take time to take care of yourself. Take time each day to take a walk or talk with a supportive friend.
  5. Focus on the positive. Don’t worry so much about the stuff you can’t control or that goes wrong. Think about the things that are going well.

Try these ideas to help balance your work life. You’ll be thankful you started thinking this way when you feel more relaxed and less stressed out. What will you do to use your self-awareness to reduce the stress you feel at work?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Aware Leaders Practice Effective Communication - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Aware Leaders Practice Effective Communication

/ / Self-Awareness in Leadership / ,

Self-aware leaders practice effective communication because they’re aware of how their emotions, thoughts, and actions affect their ability to interact with others.

Your communication style tells other people a lot about your professionalism and what they can expect when they deal with you. A theme that frequently arises when I train leaders is how to communicate in a manner that invites your employees to collaborate with you and work for you. The following tips will help you put your best foot forward and communicate confidently.

  • Listen actively. It’s amazing what you learn when you are not talking.
  • Say it briefly. Go with the approach that less is more in communication.
  • Keep it professional. Effective communication is not the appropriate time to vent about personal problems or delve into people’s private lives.
  • Keep your temper in check. If you fly off the handle it not only shuts down communication but also reduces the likelihood that the other company will give you an opportunity in the future.
  • Don’t get defensive. Remind yourself that communication glitches aren’t a personal slight against you, they are just part of regular interactions.
  • Practice excellent conflict resolution skills.  Brainstorm with the other person to get some ideas on how to deal with the issue at hand and agree on a solution that works for both of you.
  • Plan ahead. Develop a communication strategy and follow it to eliminate guesswork.

Your employees and colleagues evaluate you much in the same way your clients do. How you communicate says a lot to the outside world about your level of self-awareness and the way you do things. Keep these tips in mind as you interact with other people and you’ll be on your way to increasing your success exponentially. What will you do to develop your self-awareness and be a self-aware leader who practices effective communication?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness, Leadership, and Positive Thinking - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness, Leadership, and Positive Thinking

/ / Self-Awareness in Leadership, Self-Consciousness / , , ,

Self-awareness, leadership, and successful thinking are interlinked because leaders who understand their strengths and areas for improvement are better able to lead effectively.

Ever work for a leader who always sees the glass as half empty? What was it like? As a leader, how you wake up in the morning can make a big difference on how successful your day, your week or your entire work life is. Think about how your work day will go if you think thoughts like these:

  • Another day another dollar.
  • I hate my work.
  • I don’t want to get out of bed.
  • I hate my job.
  • I don’t feel like doing anything new.
  • I lost my slippers.
  • I wish those birds would shut up.
  • I can’t deal with my employees.
  • I won’t get any clients.

You might be better off staying in bed if you think these thoughts because they are going to lead you toward stagnation or lack of motivation and will do the same for your workplace. Think about what kind of results you might get if you increased your self-awareness and consciously thought the following:

  • I’m going to make my work meaningful.
  • I’m looking forward to the people I’ll meet today.
  • I’ve designed work activities I enjoy.
  • It’s going to be a great day.
  • I love the sound of birds chirping.
  • Nothing can stop me today.
  • My workplace is full of opportunities.
  • I love the work I do.

It may feel a little different at first, but thinking in a positive way actually leads you in a positive direction. If you think you’re going to fail, you will, if you envision success you’re more likely to create those results. How you think about your workplace will deeply affect the way your career unfolds.

How will you develop self-awareness and practice successful thinking?

Cheers,

Guy

Using Self-Awareness to Take Care of Yourself at Work - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Using Self-Awareness to Take Care of Yourself at Work

/ / Self and Self-Awareness, Self-Awareness, Self-Consciousness / , , ,

Self-awareness can help you take care of yourself at work. We’re not always taught how to look after ourselves at work. We pack our work lives full of activities and tasks but we don’t take the time to nurture ourselves. Building your self-awareness and taking care of yourself is important because it makes you more effective in all areas of your work experience and helps you recharge your batteries.

Try these ideas to bring some balance into your work life and smooth out some of the bumps.

  1. Stop. Take a moment during your day to do nothing and just relax. Lie down, take a nap, go for a walk or just look outside. The idea is to just stop and enjoy a slower pace.
  2. Breathe. Take deep breaths, slow and controlled. Inhale fully and exhale. Think of yourself inhaling serenity and exhaling stress.
  3. Think of something joyful and fun. Sweep aside all the garbled noise that clutters your brain and focus on thinking of something that makes you feel great.
  4. Find a way to vent. Find someone who will listen to you without interrupting and who will simply be there for you to talk about whatever you want.
  5. Celebrate yourself. Do nice things for yourself that don’t cost money. Give yourself a pat on the back and give yourself kudos for the things you’ve accomplished.

The key to taking care of yourself at work is to forget about others and focus on you. Try the ideas we’ve discussed here to introduce some calm into your work life and heal yourself. You deserve it.

What will you do to increase your self-awareness and take care of yourself at work?

Cheers,

Guy

The Self-Awareness Guy