Here I go again.  How frustrating?!?

I know my team is frustrated.

Why can I not make a decision today?

We’ve all been there.  Bad day. Bad meeting.  Lots trigger this indecisiveness.

Like not knowing yourself.

Lack of self-awareness.

Self-awareness is knowing your passion.  Your strengths and weaknesses. Knowing your emotions and triggers.  Understanding how and why you respond to certain situations. 

High level of self-awareness leads to knowing your true self and how your emotions impact your team. Self-awareness is demonstrated through confidence, honesty and accepting feedback. 

You are always on stage, whether you notice it or not. Your team analyzes your actions, mannerisms, words, and movement. They notice disconnect between your body  and your words. 

Manage your emotions and impulses. Impulse decisions cause struggles among your team.  Then, everything becomes a fire drill.   

Your team will stop bringing you challenges if they know you will have a meltdown.  Expect the same if you create a firestorm of extra work on them as the result of them bringing you an obstacles.

Just flip it.

Empower your team to identify solutions to the challenge.  Channel their energy into self awareness.  Help identify strengths, weakness, passion and emotional triggers to the obstacles.  In the end, you will develop a balanced, high functioning team.

As a leader, you channel this same confident energy. Consider the situation, take a deep breath, and lead the team. Your team is looking for your consistency in  direction, strength, and leadership. Our consistent actions define our leadership. 

Let’s uncover subtle signs demonstrating lack of self-awareness.

5 Signs You May Lack Self-Awareness

1. Micromanage—find yourself always checking up on your team?  You frequently ask for updates on each step.  Step in to provide direction? Think to yourself-they cannot do it without me? You may suffer from micromanagement syndrome! STOP! If you are involved in this level of management, you may not believe in the team member. If you don’t believe the team member can do the job, why did you hire them or allow them to continue in their current role?  SELF AWARENESS TIP-empower your team and let them fly. Be honest.  Allow them to let you know if you are micromanaging without repercussions.

2. Defensive—Everyone gets defensive at some point.  It is a normal human instinct.  Defensiveness masks not taking responsibility. Denying bad outcomes. Placing blame on others or elsewhere. The “nothing is ever your fault” syndrome. Perhaps, you take constructive feedback personally. You defend your position or response with high emotions.  SELF AWARENESS TIP-accept bad outcomes. Consider a recent fail. Identify the part you played on the outcome. Acknowledge your involvement to your leadership team.  When you feel your defenses go up, ask yourself what are you masking.

3. Unable to Make a Decision—you are indecisive.  It is difficult to make a decision and stick with it.  You question your judgment.  Have fear of making a bad decision.  Develop analysis paralysis—running scenarios of the decision through your mind on a loop.  SELF AWARENESS TIP-make a decision and stick with it. Don’t change your decision. If you see things going south, recalibrate but don’t deviate. 

4. Passive Aggressive Actions—you avoid direct confrontation. You procrastinate.  You redirect blame to others and cause them to question themselves. You give the silent treatment.  You may insult others and call it constructive feedback.  You may be described as stubborn.  Passive aggressive behavioral will only result in resentment among your team.  SELF AWARENESS TIP-Ask others how you treat them. Notice how you act when things don’t go your way or just as planned. Ask a friend to point out passive aggressive behavior.

5. Dress—dress for success.  Dress like the boss!  We are not going to a club or a date.  Dress should be respectful.  No low cut tops. Do the bend over test—if you can see your navel when you bend over, change your shirt! Unsure the meeting attire, then ask the host.   One client may expect blue jeans on Friday, while others expect a suit.  Know your audience and environment.  Dress for the position you want to have and not the position you have.  SELF AWARENESS TIP-look at your clothes.  If they fit for a nightclub, they don’t fit for work! Hire a personal stylist if needed. 

Know yourself.  Hold yourself accountable.  Rise to the next level.  If unsure, take time to get to know yourself.  Understand your passion, strengths, weaknesses and emotional triggers.

Ok, feeling secure?  Perfect!  Let’s make triple sure!  Download the additional 50 Signs You Lack Self-Awareness.