Get to know yourself and why it matters

My mentor always reflects my changes back to me when we meet every few months. Sometimes I feel like they know me better than I know myself, and that’s because of the clarity that comes from experience and an impartial, non-prejudiced perspective.

For those in leadership or aspiring to be in leadership, you would have done a 360-degree review at work. If not, it’s when you get honest feedback from those around you (at different levels—your direct reports, your peers, your boss, your stakeholders). It’s supposed to give you the truest understanding of yourself from others’ perspectives.

The theory is that before you can lead a team, a project, or even your own side hustle, you have to understand the most important person in your life: you.

A mentor, or someone you meet with, can usually spot your changes over the years. It’s like they hold up a mirror for you to see yourself: your fears, your uncertainties, your shortfalls and, perhaps most importantly, your strengths and value.

As a leader, it is important you know yourself and how others perceive you, because leaders have a direct influence on how others feel. Your words, decisions and actions can determine the happiness of those working for you and serve as a mirror for others who are looking to you as examples. Your strengths might be humble and quiet, but your flaws and insecurities are certainly magnified.

What the stats tell us about work and its importance to the measure of 'Life Satisfaction'

Our life statisfaction measures have been on a steady decline since 2014. The Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) 2020 shows a decline from 7.6 to 7.1 (from 0-10 measure, with 10 being completely statisfied with life).

The Australian National University (ANU) reports that this trend continues post COVID, and particularly sharp among Australians aged 35 to 44, whose average life satifaction has fallen to around 6 out of 10.

“Life satisfaction in Australia is now lower than it was in April 2020, lower than during the first lockdowns in August 2021, lower than just prior to the last election and even lower than it was in January of this year,” Professor Biddle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYZlYN4etBE

Dr. Alfred Michael Dockery from Curtin Business School's paper 'Happiness, life satisfaction and the role of work: Evidence from two Australian Surveys' illustrated the importance of the quality of a person's working life (rather than just having a job) to a person's life satisfaction measure.

It's a clear fact that doesn't require studies to validate. Work occupies a substantial portion of our time and energy. In exchange, it offers the economic, physiological, and psychological benefits essential for our survival.

Leaders bear a heavy responsibility

Due to the significant influence leaders have on an organisation, team, or project, we carry a substantial responsibility. Effective leadership that challenges and develops both the organisation and individuals directly enhances future opportunities and prospects for your staff.

This responsibility comes with both compensation and recognition, yet quiet leaders also view it as a personal matter. This is why they often invest more significantly in the development of individuals and become attractive mentors.

Who we are changes over time

We are a product of our times and external influences. Right now we are in the midst of major macroeconomic, geopolitical, technological and enviromental disruptions that all have a bearing on our current reality and future prospects. These factors shape our environment, our optimimsm for the future.

Whilst your core values may not change much, our identity and how we project ourselves to others evolve with time and experience. The person you are (and who others perceive you are) today is different from who you were five years ago, and different from who you'll be five years from now.

“The cumulative effects of inflation, the cumulative effects of higher interest rates and the cumulative stress of worrying about what the economy’s going to look like into the future is really impacting on how financially stable people feel and also just their general wellbeing,” Professor Biddle

Can we afford to lead without first understanding ourselves?

Being a leader means having a mirror pointed at you in everything you do. How can we lead effectively without understanding ourselves and how we are reflected in those mirrors? The way we handle these reflections and how they influence our leadership style is another matter.

I believe we cannot lead without first understanding ourselves. By recognising this, we can approach self-awareness with curiosity and honesty, rather than judgment. This is the first step to intentional leadership.

The Identity Compass

To assist with this, we've developed a self-reflection tool that enables you to outline the four essential components that form your personal and professional identity:

• Biology: These are your non negotiable needs—your health, sleep, and natural rhythms. They are the fixed points on your compass, the foundation you must respect to function well.

• Non-negotiables ("Have Tos"): These are your essential commitments, like your job and family obligations. They are the anchors that give your life structure.

• Interests: These are your passions and what energise you. They are the pursuits that bring you joy and help you grow.

• Negotiables ("Good to Haves"): These are your desires and aspirations—the things that add pleasure and are part of your vision for the future.

I've added a few templates and worksheets in the resources section to help guide you through the process of understanding yourself.

The Power of Clarity

The closer an item is to the center of your compass, the more integral it is to your identity. Viewing yourself from this angle allows you to see how you distribute your time and energy, and importantly, whether this aligns with your aspirations. This self-awareness is the foundational and most vital step toward genuine leadership. It's about understanding your direction so you can navigate your ship with confidence, even through life's unpredictable waters.

This is me at this point in time