𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁

Effective leadership is often described in outwardly visible terms—charisma, determination, and energy.

However, self-awareness is the true key to achievement. Understanding yourself is essential for shaping your path forward.

Over two thousand years ago, Aristotle offered:

"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom."

What are the benefits of self-awareness?

Dealing with Pressure. In a startup, there are always many fires happening at once. Your challenge is deciding which fires to extinguish first. Self-awareness allows us to pause, assess, and choose the best options.

Working Relationships. Your success depends on effective interactions with many stakeholders. Self-awareness helps us communicate clearly and empathetically with others while balancing our needs with theirs.

Facing Uncertainty. Constant change brings both opportunities and challenges. Self-awareness creates an anchor grounded in our vision and values.

Leadership Development. Knowing yourself allows you to leverage strengths and address weaknesses. For instance, you can find ways to adapt your leadership style as your company grows through different phases.

How can we be more self-aware?

Writing. Face issues head-on while being candid with yourself. The idea is not self-flagellation but learning objectively. With every significant change, examine the facts, impact, and lessons for future improvement.

NOTE: Keep a journal of accomplishments, too. You'll need these reminders during challenging times.

Accountability. Record your priorities and track your progress. If you need external support, seek out an executive coach, founder, mentor, advisor, or friend.

Choose someone willing to push you by asking tough questions and sharing what you need to hear rather than what you want to hear.

Feedback. Regularly ask 3-5 supportive yet candid people open-ended questions (e.g., "What's one way I could improve on that project?").

To show your commitment to growth, share how past feedback helped you improve (e.g. "Once, I found it immensely helpful when someone told me ___ because I learned ___").

How can we keep learning?

Here are some questions to build your self-awareness:

• What am I doing that is working?

• Where do I spend time without measurable value?

• What recurring actions hinder my success?

• When others frustrate me, what might this reveal about myself?

• What is my proudest accomplishment this month and why?

Self-awareness facilitates development, reduces stress, deepens relationships, clarifies options, and encourages resilience.

Here's your takeaway: Spend 5 minutes (yes, right now) to pick one question above and answer it for yourself.

______________________________

90% of startups fail. Build Scale Grow solves problems for fast-growing startups, specializing in Social Impact, EdTech, and Health Tech and focusing on Introverted Founders.

I wrote this post with AI editing. Photo by Md Mahdi.

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