Shaping Perceptions: Leadership and Self Awareness

There was a time early in my career when I heard comments about me that were troubling because they weren’t true. I also heard people say that I thought I was better than others, had a reputation for getting things done, was overly critical, and didn’t toe the line.

Some of these things disturbed me deeply.

Whether these comments were true did not matter to me. Why people thought these things did. I had to understand why they perceived me in a particular way. And, I needed to alter my words and actions to send out desired signals to shape their perception.

I believe you make your day. You make your life. So much of it is all perception, and this is the form that I built for myself. I have to accept it and work within those compounds, and it’s up to me. – Brad Pitt

The self-aware leader asks questions and seeks feedback from others. Occasionally, this means getting our feelings hurt.

However, if we do this with the intent of learning we can understand how we are perceived, shape those perceptions and become more effective leaders.

Here’s why…