Image by DALL·E 3
There’s an exercise that features in our Organic Leadership programme where we invite participants to introspect on the events, experiences, and relationships that made them who they are today. It’s an individual activity that gives a practical example of what it means to be internally self-aware. For some this might mean looking back at their career. Those who are comfortable doing so might revisit their studies or even their childhood.
It can be rare that we take the time to step back and look at the journey that brought us to where we are. For many, the process brings new insight. For others it brings new levels of appreciation: someone once stepped out of a session to make a phone call and show gratitude to her mum. It can also be challenging to look backwards: difficulties and trials can shape us even more than our opportunities or achievements.
These formative moments can often give us clues as to our unique capacities and aspirations, and perhaps even where they come from. By embracing who we are and acknowledging what makes us unique we can more easily appreciate without bias what we contribute to the world: our ‘superpowers’ and ‘hidden gems’.
Self-awareness gives us more clarity and control over ourselves, our interactions, and our relationships. And knowing that everyone else has hidden gems—whether or not we can currently see them—sets the stage for our role and our responsibilities as a leader.
