Issue 20: The Art of Self-Awareness

"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom."

-Aristotle

Welcome to our twentieth edition!

As we take time to reflect this Memorial Day, honoring those who have sacrificed for our freedom, it's also an opportunity to turn inward and reflect on ourselves. In this edition, we focus on using reflection to understand yourself—specifically, your strengths and weaknesses. Recognizing and acknowledging these aspects can be transformative for your personal and professional growth. Here’s a five-minute strategy to help you get started with purposeful self-reflection.

5-MINUTE STRATEGY

Strengths and Weaknesses Reflection

Step 1: Choose a consistent time each week for your reflection. This could be at the end of the workweek, Sunday evening, or any time that suits your routine. Find a quiet space where you can focus without distractions. (Not always easy but it makes a difference!)

Step 2: Take 2-3 minutes to think about your recent experiences. Identify specific situations where you felt you performed well. Always start with what worked. Consider both small and large accomplishments. What actions did you take that led to these successes? Which of your skills or behaviors contributed to the success?

Step 3: Spend 2-3 minutes reviewing the challenges or setbacks you faced during the week. Where did you struggle? Where didn't you achieve your desired outcomes? What factors contributed to the difficulties? What skills need improvement? What can you learn from these experiences?

Step 4: Choose one strength to leverage more and one weakness to improve. For your strength, think about how you can apply it in more areas of your work or life. For your weakness, do a quick search for a book, a course, or a new approach you can apply.

Why this matters: By regularly reflecting on your strengths and weaknesses, you'll develop a deeper understanding of yourself, including your capabilities and areas for growth. This self-awareness is foundational for personal development and to become a confident, competent leader.

Notice that we started with your strengths—this was not by chance. Our natural default is to overlook our strengths and fixate on our weaknesses. We want to start by distinguishing what worked so we can do more of it and avoid taking it for granted.

By developing self-awareness, we enhance our leadership and grow our strength and wisdom, helping us more fully recognize and honor the legacy of those who contributed to the freedom and opportunities we have today.

Next week's preview

Building Resilience in Uncertain Times. We’ll explore strategies for maintaining mental strength when times are tough.

Until our next issue, take time this week to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses and create a simple plan to benefit from both.

Lead with purpose.

Asia