“The true leader is always led,” said Carl Gustav Jung.
Self-awareness is one of most powerful and impactful domains of emotional intelligence. It is the guide to which leaders lead. By definition, it is having a deep understanding of one’s emotions, strengths, limitations, values, and motives. One who is strong in their self-awareness knows what they want in life. They are ready to reject pathways that don’t stick with their moral values or principles.
They are prone to turning down a six-figure paying job if the work doesn’t fit with their principles or long term goals, like spending quality time with their family. One who does not exhibit the characteristic of self-awarness might choose the job because of the tempting salary, but their emotions down the road may feel depressing and boring because they lacked self-knowledge when making the decision.
To be self aware means that one is constantly reflecting on themselves, typically in a quiet atmosphere, where they think things through rather than to react impulsively. Daydreaming is the phase of self-awareness. It can take place by going off on a walk, having a cup of coffee, or even just meditating.
If we refer back to Jung’s quote about the true leader, he says that they are led by something, like a motive or inspiration. Those who have self-awareness understand what they want, which guides them towards a successful future. Leaders understand that for an organization to succeed, they must have goals and values that they live by. Companies that are not at the top of their game fall behind because their leaders make the wrong bets. They make decisions that seem tempting, but are not rewarding. And this is due to the lack of intuition, where leaders don’t truly realzie the company’s expectations or goals.
In short, intuition offers exemplary leaders with a domain of emotional intelligence that helps them guide decisions based on principles and values.
Note: All knowledge and ideas are attained from the book"Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence". This blog summarizes the content from the book, but may unintentionally contain the same wording.
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