Self-Aware

Leaders who are self-aware tend to be the best and most productive leaders.

But how exactly do you build strong self-awareness? Well, one good and a proven way is the 360 appraisal process which is now commonplace in many organizations.

360 Appraisal Process

The 360 appraisal process in its most basic form is simply where you rate yourself against a set of leadership skills and qualities and/or organizational values. Then you get others to rate you on the same. Others include your direct reports, peers and occasionally other key stakeholders too, such as customers or suppliers.

The 360 appraisal process is done anonymously to enable those providing feedback to be brutally honest without fear of any consequences.

Become Self Aware By Asking For Feedback

Another simple way to become more self-aware is to simply ask for feedback. This is much easier than a 360 assessment process and can often provide information that’s equally useful. Of course, asking for feedback directly removes that anonymity and therefore you need to emphasize that you\’re after honest and direct feedback. Feedback with which you are able to act on.

Your goal is to fully understand where you are today and what you need to do to improve to get to some future desired state.

You may also want to take a look at the article on self-assessment.