Want to Be a Good Leader? Know yourself first.

Learning to be aware of yourself isn’t always easy, but mastering this skill can help you become a much more effective leader.

 

1. Keep an open mind. When you can regulate your own emotional world, you can be attuned to others’ emotions.
2. Be mindful of your strengths and weaknesses. Self-aware individuals know their own strengths and weaknesses and can work from that space.
3. Stay focused. An important part of being a leader is making connections, but you can’t make those connections if you’re distracted.
4. Set boundaries. A leader needs to have strong boundaries in place. Be warm toward others, but say no when you need to. Be serious about your work and your passions, and keep your boundaries firm to maintain the integrity of your goals and the work you put into them.
5. Know your emotional triggers. Self-aware individuals can identify their emotions as they are happening. Don’t repress your emotions or deny their causes; instead, be able to bend and flex with them, and fully process them before communicating with others.
6. Embrace your intuition. Successful people trust their instincts and take the risks associated with them.
7. Practice self-discipline. Good leaders tend to be disciplined in every area of their life.