自我意识：提高领导情商的关键

    因此，我们在本文中要探讨关于自我意识的以下三个问题：

    • 自我意识到底是什么？

    • 如何提高自我意识？

    • 为什么说自我意识是领导者成功必需的“万能之钥”？

    1. 自我意识到底是什么？

    根据个人能力提升网站Mind Tools（http://www.mindtools.com/）的定义，自我意识是“总是知道自己的感受，懂得自己的情绪和行为对他人会造成何种影响；作为领导者，具有自我意识还意味着清楚自己的长处和不足，待人处事时保持谦虚”。

    能做到这些，的确是一个不错的开端。但想要真正理解自我意识，就必须更加深入地了解它。在我们的定义中，自我意识和“他人意识”只是一体两面。如同阴阳相生，它们是同一过程中两个天然的组成部分。你一定会问：“那又如何？”呶，不妨思考一下以下问题：

    • 如果没有“他人”，再说“自我”还有什么意义，不是吗？我们每个人不都是从与他人的交往中，无论是同事、家人或陌生人，自然而然地形成“自我”体验的吗？

    • 这些“他人”也通过与“他人”的交往形成“自我”体验。

    • 因此自我意识和他人意识不能分开而论：提及其一，则必须提及其二。

    • 要成为领导者，首要的问题就是认识自己，然后才能理解他人。

    了解这些就够了吗？如果你对自己的认识更加深入，别人在你眼中也不再那么神秘难测了。通过提高自我意识，你提高了认识能力、具备同理心，也赢得了信任。何乐而不为！而且，人的天性就是以自我为中心，大多数人更愿意时不时看看镜子中的自己，不是吗？但是这种自我欣赏或者说孤芳自赏的心态不是本文讨论的范围。本文要谈的问题是你，一个愿意并开始全面认识自我、认同自我的你。现在，如果你已经做好准备，我们就可以回答“什么是自我意识”的问题了。

    自我意识包括：

    • 知道自己喜欢什么，不喜欢什么，以及当中的原因：什么可以激励你，什么让你沮丧，认识自己的价值观

    • 对自己的才能、优点和缺点了然于心

    • 明白自己在想什么（并非你可能以为的那种“明白”！）……观察自己思想的能力

    • 明白自己的信念，同时明白哪些可以带来力量，哪些应该抛弃……同时包括对自己和对他人的信念

    • 明白自己的人生方向：你的目标是什么以及原因何在

    • 认识并欣赏自己作为人类的独特价值

    So in this article we are going to talk about three things regarding Self-Awareness:

    • What is it really?

    • How can you develop it?

    • Why it is the absolutely essential “Master Key” for aspiring leaders

    1. Self-Awareness: what is it really?

    According to Mind Tools (http://www.mindtools.com/) “If you're self-aware, you always know how you feel, and you know how your emotions and your actions can affect the people around you. Being self-aware when you're in a leadership position also means having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses, and it means behaving with humility.”

    That’s a good start but to really understand Self Awareness, you must go deeper than this. In our definition, Self-Awareness and “Other Awareness” are simply two sides of the same coin. The two are natural parts of the same process, just as Yin is part of Yang. “So what?” you ask! Well, think about this:

    • If there were no ‘others’ it wouldn’t make any sense to talk about a ‘self’ at all…would it? As humans, we naturally experience our ‘self’ in relationship to others, whether they be colleagues, family members, or utter strangers.

    • Those ‘others’ also experience their ‘self” only in relation to ‘others.’

    • Therefore, Self Awareness and Other Awareness should not be separated: when we talk about one, we must talk about the other.

    • For you emerging leaders: there is nothing more important than understanding your self, in order that you can understand others.

    The good news in all this?As you deepen your insights into yourself, others stop seeming so mysterious and hard to understand. You will gain insight, empathy and confidence simply by working on your own Self-Awareness. What a deal!  And, since humans are at root, self-centered, most people are more than willing to looking in the mirror once in a while, right? But that kind of self-admiration and narcissism are NOT what we are writing about here. We are talking about you, willing to see the WHOLE picture of yourself, embrace it as it is, and start working with it. Ok, if you are ready, we can now answer the question “What is self awareness really?”

    Self-Awareness includes:

    • Knowing what you like, dislike and why: what motivates you and what demotivates you, being aware of your own values

    • Being crystal clear about your talents and strengths AND your weaknesses

    • Being conscious of the content of your own mind (not as common as you might think!)…the ability to observe your own thoughts

    • Knowing your own beliefs and knowing which ones empower you and which ones should be discarded…including beliefs about yourself AND others

    • Knowing your direction in life: where you are headed and why

    • Knowing and appreciating your own unique value as a human being