Module 1 Self-Awareness Blog

    Since beginning my MSLD program specialization at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, my level of self-awareness has changed dramatically. Although I haven't been able to put this knowledge into action yet, it has helped me understand several instances in my past. There are Five Core Aspects of Self Awareness according to Whetten & Cameron which include Emotional Intelligence, Personal Values, Cognitive Style, Attitude Toward Change, and Core Self-Evaluation.

    Emotional Intelligence is arguably the most important aspect as it is the ability to correctly diagnose and manage one's own emotions and relationships with others. Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, allows us to know ourselves to help us understand others to include trigger points, the sensitive line, comfort zones, strengths, weaknesses, and inclinations. Ultimately, EQ allows us to appreciate individuals and their differences which allows us, as leaders, to manage talents effectively. Moreover, EQ allows us to control our emotions, label our emotions, and accurately diagnose and empathize with the feelings of others. In my past, I experienced a situation that led me to have my emotional fuse blow and my temper to rage in a work environment. It is one of the most embarrassing and regretful actions in my lifetime, particularly because others were around to observe my discontent. To this day, I can't quite recall what lit my fire that day which exemplifies to me that many things at work aren't worth making such a big deal over. The worst part of that situation is that I burnt many bridges and people saw my worst. I was unable to control my emotions and, for some, I lost them as loyal followers.

    Personal Values are instrumental in ethical decision making and unifies the personality overall which includes attitudes, orientations, behaviors, personal standards, and moral judgment. People are often unaware they hold some values more important than others and that some values can contradict others. Humans often have inherent values just based on the cultures, countries, and organizations they are a part of, whether we know it or not. Managers must understand that not every individual is the same and that there are all kinds of cultures and value differences throughout the world. Moreover, managers must focus on pursuing humanistic values such as compassion, humility, trust, and kindness, over focusing on selfish ends like accomplishment. In my life, there was a time where I focused solely on my personal achievements and accolades over those under my command. Unsurprisingly, my success was short-lived and I began to lose out on awards and recognition. It wasn't until I decided to push others for awards and recognition, while ignoring my own, that my success skyrocketed. It turns out that by pushing others and successfully helping them succeed, they helped to push me for awards. A group of senior enlisted appreciated my gestures so much that they wrote my award package for junior officer of the year and I ended up winning for my organization. I learned that I had to treat everyone differently and that selfless leadership is pivotal to success.

    Cognitive Style is the manner in which we gather and process information. It is our ability to problem solve, learn, make decisions, perceive, communicate, and create. Our cognitive style is composed not of inherent attributes, but rather, inclinations toward information and learning that we have developed over time. My personal cognitive style is planning as I love plans, itineraries, schedules - you name it! I am very analytical, as I am often told, which I used to deny time and time again, but, have come to accept it and embrace it. Being so analytical has made being emotionally available difficult throughout my lifetime. My cognitive style somewhat blocked my ability to successfully have a high EQ, however, I have been able to work on this and feel I am in a much better spot today. 

    Attitudes Toward Change is the ability to cope with change. A leader must strive to easily adapt when things don't go according to plan as chaos can ensue. Leaders must remain level-headed because plans never go according to plan; the world is temporary, complex, and overloaded with information. My cognitive style of planning does not like change so this has always been challenging for me. Losing control and intolerance of ambiguity has led to some of my earliest leadership failures. I strive to become tolerant of ambiguity and more internally focused. Internal locus of control reminds me of the poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley which states that we are the masters of our fates; we are the captains of our souls. I will continue to work on becoming more in command of my own life and my own successes.

    Core Self-Evaluation is the construct that captures the essential aspects of core personality (i.e. underlying personality attributes). These attributes include neuroticism, extroversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness. Most people are unaware of their own true personality and are also unaware that personality can be changed. After taking a Myers-Briggs personality test, I learned that I am introverted even though I thought I was extroverted. I was in denial over the results, but, I learned that personality can change and there is nothing wrong with being aware of your personality. Knowing my introversion has enabled me to become a better leader rather than pretending to be more extroverted than I really am. This has led me to life happiness and I hope that developing more management skills will enhance my feelings of positive self-regard.

References:

Whetten, D. Cameron, K. (2016). Developing Management Skills. (9th Ed.) Pearson.