As a manager or leader, developing self-awareness is very important for your career. It’s the surest and fastest way to rise to the top personally and professionally.

Unfortunately, it looks like it’s the least talked about in leadership development. In this post, I’m going to share seven steps to fine-tune your self-awareness.

But before we dive in, let’s explore some of the key benefits. As a leader, having a heightened level of self-awareness will…

• Improve your emotional intelligence
• Make you a much better communicator
• Enhance your ability to make better decisions
• Help you identify your personal strengths and weaknesses
• Reduce workplace conflicts between you and your team members

When you are a highly self-aware manager, you handle workplace issues with calmness. When others panic, you will be the force that brings order to chaos.

Unfortunately, most managers struggle to develop and practice self-awareness. Their schedule is too overwhelming.

So much is calling for our attention that it’s hard to spend time to work on ourselves. Besides, most people are afraid of confronting their weaknesses. That fear alone can hold us back from reaching the top of the ladder of success.

The good news is, as a manager, there are some simple daily habits to help you boost your self-awareness. Here are…

3 Simple Steps To Boost Your Self-Awareness In The Workplace

Step 1: Set A Daily Reflection Practice

This step is important because it creates a habit of self-examination. Set aside 10-15 minutes at the end of each workday to reflect on your behaviors and interactions.

I recommend a personal self-awareness journal to keep track of your progress.

Ask yourself these 6 simple questions:

1. How did my mood or emotions impact my interactions with team members today?
2. Did I show empathy today during my interactions with my team members?
3. What assumptions did I make about a person that I should reconsider?
4. What feedback did I receive, and how did I respond to it?
5. Did I model (or fail to model) active listening today?
6. What did I learn today about myself as a leader?

Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Being self-aware can improve your relationships as a manager, parent, or friend.

Powerful leaders always reflect on their behaviors. You don’t need to have a coach to help you improve your self-awareness. You can do it yourself.

When Suzanne (a coaching client) was confronting some issues at work, I recommended she keep a self-awareness journal.

After four weeks, she noticed a sudden shift in her attitude and behaviors. Her communication style changed. She was experiencing fewer conflicts with her team members.

Step 2: Actively Seek Feedback And Take Action

This one is difficult. It takes courage to receive feedback with grace from others. Especially when the feedback is not what we desire.

Now, be very careful. Sometimes the feedback is from someone with ulterior motives. Their goal is to tear us down.

However, as a manager, you should not avoid feedback. You should encourage it. That’s how you grow.

Schedule regular one-on-one meetings with your peers to get their feedback.

Ask specific questions about your performance and leadership style. Listen without judgment and take action on the feedback you receive. Remember, the goal is improvement, not perfection.

Step 3: Practice Mindfulness Meditation

Meditation is how you learn to take control of your thoughts, emotions, and reactions. It’s your playground to master the art of self-awareness.

We are living in a world full of distractions. It’s hard to focus. According to the experts, we have the attention span of a goldfish – twenty seconds.

Meditation will help calm your mind.

Some people might call it prayer. But, there’s a difference.

When we are praying, we are talking. In meditation, we listen.

In meditation, you get to quiet the voices that are constantly chatting inside your head.

The remarkable thing is, our nature is calmness and peace. That’s our default. We just need to learn how to reach it.

It’s like the ocean. No matter how agitated the waves are, deep down at the bottom, it’s always calm and peaceful even during a hurricane.

The mind may become agitated by a stream of disturbing thoughts. But, deep within its recesses, it is calm and peaceful.

Here’s how to arrive there:

Schedule 15 minutes on your calendar every morning. (Personally, I spend one full hour meditating daily.)

Choose a location without noise or distractions.

Sit quietly and close your eyes. Breathe slowly.

Observe your thoughts. Zap or dismiss them one by one.

Warning: Those thoughts will come fast. The moment you dismiss one, another will show up. Keep dismissing them.

We know it’s impossible to avoid thoughts. Even if you say, “I’m not thinking,” that requires a thought.

The good news is, the more you practice, the easier it gets. Soon, those random thoughts will vanish the moment you are aware of them.

Most people tell me their problem with meditation is that they cannot stop thinking.

What they don’t realize is that catching themselves thinking those thoughts is power. Because few are mindful of their thoughts. That’s why we do and say stupid things we regret later.

Let’s conclude…

Commit to practicing daily until you develop a high level of self-awareness. You will experience a shift.

Instead of having a knee-jerk reaction to what a co-worker said, you will pause and reflect.

Practice these three self-awareness steps daily. Soon you will rise as an admired and respected leader in your field.

Remember, self-awareness mastery is an ongoing process. It’s a habit you form with repetition.

It’s like learning to ride a bicycle. You will wobble at first. You won’t achieve overnight results. Stay with it.