‘‘ Leadership is not only about developing and communicating a vision and setting objectives , but also following through to achieve set results . Leaders with a strong results orientation tend to emphasize the importance of efficiency and productivity and to prioritize the highestvalue work . ’’
people to take different actions .
Interestingly , many people aren ’ t aware that the choices they make are extensions of the reality that operates in their hearts and minds . Indeed , you can live your whole life without understanding the inner dynamics that drive what you do and say . Yet it ’ s crucial that those who seek to lead powerfully and effectively look at their internal experiences , precisely because they direct how you take action , whether you know it or not .
Taking accountability as a leader today includes understanding your motivations and other inner drives . An individual ’ s profile is a combination of his or her habits of thought , emotions , hopes , and behavior in various circumstances . Profile awareness is therefore recognition of these common tendencies and the impact they have on others .
We often observe a rudimentary level of profile awareness with the executives . They use labels as a shorthand to describe their profile , such as , “ I ’ m an overachiever ” or “ I ’ m a control freak .” Others recognize emotional patterns , like “ I always fear the worst ,” or limiting beliefs , such as “ you can ’ t trust anyone .” Other executives divide their identity in half . They end up with a simple liking for their “ good ” and a dislike of their “ bad ”.
Finding ways to describe the common internal tendencies that drive behavior is a good start . We now know , however , that successful leaders develop profile awareness at a broader and deeper level .
State Awareness
State awareness , meanwhile , is the recognition of what ’ s driving you at the moment you take action . In common parlance , people use the phrase “ state of mind ” to describe this , but we ’ re using “ state ” to refer to more than the thoughts in your mind . State awareness involves the real-time perception of a wide range of inner experiences and their impact on your behavior . These include your current mind-set and beliefs , fears and hopes , desires and defenses , and impulses to take action .
State awareness is harder to master than profile awareness . While many leaders recognize their tendency to exhibit negative behavior under pressure , they often don ’ t realize they ’ re exhibiting that behavior until well after they ’ ve started to do so . At that point , the damage is usually already done .
In the future , the best leaders will demonstrate both profile awareness and state awareness . These capacities can develop into the ability to shift one ’ s inner state in real time . That leads to changing behavior when you can still affect the outcome , instead of looking back later with regret . It also means not overreacting to events because they are reminiscent of something in the past or evocative of something that might occur in the future .
When learning to look inward in the process of organizational transformation , individuals accelerate the pace and depth of change dramatically . In practical terms , individuals learn to align what they intend with what they actually say and do to influence others .
Open eyes will be better able to spot obstacles to organizational change . Consider the experience of a company that became aware , during a major
‘‘ Leaders who are supportive understand and sense how other people feel . By showing authenticity and a sincere interest in those around them , they build trust , inspire , and help colleagues to overcome challenges . They intervene in group work to promote organizational efficiency , allaying unwarranted fears about external threats and preventing the energy of employees from dissipating into internal conflict .”
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