Leadership Development
Parents often recommend that their teenagers find out who they are and get comfortable in their own skin before entering the world of dating. And that's based on the idea that the more you understand, embrace, and have control over yourself, the more you will be able to bring your best self to the table when you interact with others. When fully embraced and developed, self-awareness and self-management are crucial skills that help individuals reach their full potential in the workplace (and help these same individuals score a second date in the dating world). Self-awareness and self-management also happen to be the building blocks for emotional intelligence.
P.S. If you are a Birkman Certified Professional, we have professional development courses on Emotional Intelligence here.
The same lessons parents give their teens apply to how we need to develop employees in the workplace. Before an individual has formal management responsibilities, they must take the time to learn about their own strengths and blind spots, as well as develop strategies to remain resilient under pressure and stress. Essentially, before your employees become leaders of others, it is critical they first become leaders of themselves—knowing how to maximize the impact they can make in their role, through expanded self-awareness and self-management.
Both of these skills help increase employee productivity and accountability, and ultimately the success of your organization. Self-awareness is the first step to building the foundation for EQ. It's helpful to develop early on in one's career, yet it can be difficult even for high-potentials to possess without the necessary tools, guidance, and mentorship. Second is Self-Management. This is a muscle individuals need to develop and continually strengthen, as it typically doesn't come naturally to want to resist acting upon one's frustrations. And, both skills need to be understood before they can be worked on.
Take a look at the infographic below to understand the distinction between Self-Awareness and Self-Management and why each one is critical to developing more effective employees across your organization.
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Want to learn how your individual contributors can expand their self-awareness and self-management skills? Connect with us.
About the Author | Brittany Buxton Naething
With a Bachelors in Communications and Journalism from Texas A&M University, Brittany couples her experience in customer relations and passion for making a difference as she works within the marketing department. Outside of work, you can catch Brittany en route to new cities, soccer fields, or at any coffee shop. As Scottish royalty, you might also find her abroad enjoying the Scottish countryside.