Chuck Norris or Kip Dynamite: The Challenge of Self-Awareness
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 12:14PM What Can Doppelgänger Week Teach Us About Self-Awareness? Plenty! For those of you not on Facebook, the Doppelgänger craze involves posting a celebrity look-alike as your profile picture. What I have trouble understanding is why someone posts a picture of Chuck Norris on their profile, when everyone knows they more closely resemble Kip from Napoleon Dynamite.
One of the most difficult things to watch is someone with a vastly inaccurate self-image. Most people know of a boss colleague or friend who views themselves as more funny, effective, or intelligent than they really are. Caricatures such as Inspector Gadget, The Pink Panther, and Michael Scott are funny because we regrettably know someone with a similar swagger who succeeds in spite of their own obvious shortcomings.
In his book Primal Leadership, Daniel Goleman defines self-awareness as, “having a deep understanding of one’s emotions, as well as one’s strengths and limitations and one’s values and motives.” Goldman suggests that self-aware leaders should have an intimate knowledge of what drives them on a daily basis and how they should most effectively operate.
The reality of lasting leadership is that effective leaders tirelessly seek out their failings in an effort to minimize the effect of their deficiencies. Self-aware leaders:
- Find others who will hold them accountable with brutal honesty
- Acknowledge poor decisions
- Relentlessly seek to lessen the effects of their shortcomings on others.
On the other hand, the journey of self-discovery is not solely an ascetic practice. Leaders also come to know their strengths when they develop an accurate self-image. By playing to their own strengths, and the strengths of others, leaders can become exponentially more effective. A Gallop study, which began in 1960, reveals that when leaders of organizations’ focus on strengths, their employees have a 73% chance of engagement at work. When the organizations leadership neglects its focus on strengths, the employees’ chances of engagement drop to a mere 9%.
Self-awareness is not an easy pill to swallow, but I suggest that it is the most foundational building block of an effective leader. No one wants to follow a person who imagines they are someone they are not, but men have run headlong into battle when following a leader who has taken a hard look in the mirror. I suppose we all hunger for truth. Something primal in our being seems to search for those rare souls who appear to understand the world and their place in it. I am convinced that the path to becoming one of those remarkable leaders is an internal journey of self-discovery.
I’m sorry Kip. I know that your cage fighting dreams can’t come true without the board-shattering roundhouse of Chuck Norris. But please, proudly display your own picture and be the leader that only you can be.
-David Greer, Soderquist Fellow
Reader Comments (3)
David,
Great post. Timely - relevant - insightful. I've been a huge believer of the "Strengths" movement for a number of years - and it is clearly a core element of authentic, self-aware leaders.
I especially enjoyed your pop-culture hook to set the stage. (this from a guy who is still sporting a "Milton from Office Space" doppelganger).
Your creativity is inspiring, and the Soderquist Center is lucky to have you.
Blair
Relevant and compelling. Great post. Should cause solid introspection by the reader.
I'm glad I went with my own photo. I almost went with Dr. J.
David -
Creative way to catch our attention.
Your ideas reminded me of a truth of human nature that I find fascinating. It's this: I always give myself the benefit of the doubt on any given situation, and you give yourself the benefit of the doubt. We tend to imagine pure intentions of our own, while questioning the intentions of others. We do it all the time. For example, I'm late for work because of the train, the school bus, etc. But my view of your tardiness is all about your character; doesn't plan ahead, lazy, etc.
Thanks for the reminder that my awareness of self is directly connected to my ability to see truth.
Wendy