I think you’ve seen those articles that promise the “secret” to success, the “best” way to go about growing your business, or the top tips to increase employee engagement. Maybe I’m even guilty of writing a couple that may sound like that (I hope not!).
But the truth is that every secret to success and all those tips for improvement don’t always work! Often a specific fail-proof method that worked for Johnny may very well fail when Emma tries it.
Why?
Because in my experience, any growth you may be seeking (business and/or personal), begins with a good dose of self-awareness.
When you understand yourself better, you also know what will likely work for you, where you need to stretch yourself, and perhaps where you need to hold yourself back.
Whether you want to be a better leader, 10x your business, or find more balance, a good dose of self-awareness – learning to observe your own behaviors and reflect on what’s working and what’s not – is a great starting point for setting yourself on a path for growth.
A client I’ve been working with for many years, CEO of a multi-national business, recently had an insight in one of our sessions which really nailed the idea that self-awareness is the drive for impact and growth. Here’s what he said:
“It’s become clear to me that self-awareness is such an important attribute, or gift even. With high self-awareness comes all kinds of other good things – the ability to improve, increase impact, and so on. By corollary, a lack of self-awareness is the biggest barrier to improvement.”
And this is what I love about my conversation with Rebecca Hulse in this week’s podcast. We talk about how rebels often feel at odds for doing things differently from conventional methods. You can achieve great things by embracing your inner rebel and working with it.