At the core of great leadership is self-reflection. Coaches are leaders; thus, great coaches self-reflect. But why? Because, in the wise words of Eckhart Tolle, “with awareness, comes choice,” and awareness brings intentionality to all that we do.
At Strive, we ask you to start this reflection by considering, “WHO AM I?”
It is easy to respond to this question with your name and your grade or job title … but what we really want you to do is dig deep, break it down and reflect:
“Who am I as a man or a woman, as a coach, as a friend?
Why do I do what I do?
What are my strengths? My weaknesses?
What pushes my buttons?
What motivates me?
What matters to me?
What are my core values?”
Once I am fully aware of how these factors influence or impact my decisions and thoughts, I can decide if the path/decision I am choosing is the one I truly want. For example: Am I aware of the fact that I might not be the best listener? If so, am I making an intentional choice to continue the behavior without making any changes? If I was not previously aware of my poor listening skills, what choices can I make to intentionally change the way that I actively try to listen when others are speaking? With the awareness of my poor listening skills, comes my choice to either intentionally make a change, or not.
We often “don’t know what we don’t know,”, especially with regard to self-awareness. Take the time to sit down and actually reflect on who you are and who you want to be. Reflection can be an incredibly powerful tool.
Put yourself in the position of intentionality … become more self-aware! With awareness, comes choice.
Keep Striving,
Pam Herath & The Strive Team
