Luis Chanaga is a business professional, and organizational leader. In the following article, Luis Chanaga discusses how practicing self-awareness makes even the best bosses even better.

As the president and co-founder of innovative real estate startups Tenavox and Otso, Marissa Limsiaco is considered a successful entrepreneur by any measure.

Authentic leadership is vital for commercial real estate businesses to thrive in a highly competitive market. According to Limsiaco, it takes heightened self-awareness to lead in the most sincere and genuine ways possible.

Limsiaco started developing her leadership values and self-awareness as an Army platoon leader and both are now essential skills, she harnesses to lead her businesses with confidence and empathy.

Luis Chanaga explains that even the most confident leaders recognize that personal growth is a lifelong process.

Luis Chanaga Says to Get to Know Yourself

Leaders have strong work ethics and are driven to meet and exceed their goals, but often they overlook the importance of self-awareness in leadership.

Self-awareness is key to understanding one’s weaknesses and strengths since it focuses on deeply understanding one’s interpersonal skills, emotions, and personality. It has a powerful impact. Self-awareness leads to better problem-solvers and collaborators. It can make one not just a better leader, but a better partner, friend, and teammate.

Luis Chanaga explains that financial success and other workplace wins may suggest that a business is guided by a highly effective leader, but that’s not always the case. Self-awareness is the common denominator among successful people, says Tamar Gendler, a Yale University professor.

Gendler emphasizes that self-awareness is also connected to increased productivity and creativity, as well as highly effective communication.

The simple act of thinking clearly about how one thinks, acts, and feels the way they help people hone distinctive leadership styles that helps them move forward in life — and in business — with confidence.

Self-Awareness and EQ

Luis Chanaga notes that leadership within companies may require vast business intelligence, but it’s one’s emotional intelligence (EI) that can make all the difference.

Self-awareness is a central tenant of EI, which generally refers to the ability to comprehend and control emotions. Strong EI can drive important business and personal relationships and is invaluable when it comes to connecting with new people, co-workers, or employees.

In addition to self-awareness, other components of EI include empathy, self-regulation, social skills, and motivation — all of which are related to traits of effective leaders. A self-aware leader understands the many ways their daily decisions and actions – big and small — can impact others.

Luis Chanaga says that a leader with a high EI may be better equipped to be a good boss, but it is also one who is able to learn from mistakes and grow.

Critical Self-Awareness

One aspect of self-awareness can make leaders uncomfortable. It’s tough for anyone to be very honest and open about their feelings and the challenges they are struggling to overcome. But this skill overwhelmingly leads to turning the workplace into a safe place for all.

Luis Chanaga says that such transparency is rare but acknowledging both strengths and weaknesses helps achieve great business results. It’s inspiring to see a boss who is upfront about their own skills but also in tune with the strengths, experiences, and needs of employees. That means a self-aware boss usually thinks more thoughtfully about the opinions and needs of others before making important decisions.

Openness to improvement through feedback is another quality strongly associated with self-aware leaders, according to a study in the Journal of Applied Psychology. These leaders are also more willing to adjust their leadership style to fit other people’s needs. That flexibility and vulnerability strongly elicit a sense of trustworthiness and relatability.

Employees have commonly said that self-aware bosses are seen as fair, credible, and authentic because they do not just recognize their limitations but openly acknowledge them.

Becoming More Self-Aware

Luis Chanaga explains that working on self-awareness is not easy; it’s considered a lifelong endeavor. However, there are many ways to fine-tune one’s self-awareness as one develops into a strong leader. Three effective ways are:

Reflect and Meditate

Much of self-awareness revolves around thoughtful actions and responses. Many find daily meditation helpful for an emotional reset and to provide clarity on goals.

Solicit Feedback

Luis Chanaga says that not everyone will be comfortable with talking to someone about their behavior — especially their boss. Instead, leaders working on self-awareness should seek reliable providers of insights into their actions and awareness, especially friends and family.

Self-Acceptance

Nobody is perfect. Even with a large amount of self-awareness, no one ever will be. A big part of self-awareness is not just recognizing flaws or blind spots but accepting them. It’s OK to be comfortable with being introverted or know that it takes longer to be organized. When one accepts themselves fully, others will, too.