16 March 2021

You might think you are self-aware, but research shows that only 10 to 15 percent of adults fit the criteria..

 

2:00 Min

... Here are three expert guidelines to help develop this rare skill and become a better colleague, leader and team player.

Start with a self-check

“The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the quality of the questions you are asking yourself”, says leadership coach Tony Robbins. Although developing self-awareness requires commitment and humility, looking inward to get to know your strengths and weaknesses is a necessary step to understanding what we should be focusing on. To get started, take this five-minute test to see where you place on Goleman's Emotional Intelligence scale.

Train for mindfulness

In today’s work setting, distraction hides behind every corner to steal our focus and lower our productivity potential. One empirical study suggests that our minds wander 47 percent of the time! “Being aware of our thoughts and feelings changes the emotional lives of our brains”, explains neuroscientist Richard J. Davidson in a popular TED talk. By learning to be present in the moment, we can strengthen connections, increase work achievement and nurture a sense of purpose. Here are three ways to quit “doomscrolling” and refocus.

Help spread awareness to others

Colleagues who aren’t self-aware are often hard to deal with and can hamper the team’s performance. Psychologist Tasha Eurich advises us to lead by example, adopt a mindset of compassion, and have patience. As a leader, if you choose to be open and vulnerable with your team, it reminds them that they too can do the same. This results in a ripple effect, where everyone focuses on growing their own emotional intelligence levels and beyond.