Hello KSKOers
I loved my conversation with Dr Adam Dorsey. We explored self-awareness and its ripple effects, psychological safety in innovative organisations, men and their challenges in expressing their emotions, loneliness and adult friendship in workplaces, and how self-perception is linked to leadership reputation. We also realised we could both speak Japanese too! Take a watch!
Looking forward to joining you on your learning journey!
Here are my top takeaways from our conversation:
1. Self-Connection Matters: Adam highlights why understanding yourself is key. He believes self-awareness sets the tone for all our interactions. Think about it like this: if you're feeling off, like with the flu, it impacts how you relate to others. By getting in touch with our emotions, we're better equipped to handle situations thoughtfully. Adam’s idea of self-connection rippling outwards helps visualise how our inner state affects everything else around us - and how we interact with others.
2. Men's Emotional Journey: Adam tackles an important issue: men and their emotions. He shares that boys usually start out more expressive but societal norms teach it out of them. He introduced the FIP approach – Feel, Identify, Process – as a way for men to better handle their emotions. Adam’s insight is a nudge for men to fully embrace their feelings for healthier, well-rounded lives.
3. Leadership Shapes Company Culture: Adam points out how crucial self-awareness in leadership is for shaping company culture. With many companies led by men who might not fully express their emotions, it impacts everything. Psychologically safe workplaces tend to innovate more because people feel good about sharing ideas. Adam shares his thoughts that leaders need to be more self-aware to create thriving, positive work environments.
4. Feedback is Gold: Adam underscored the power of feedback in personal growth. He recommends having trusted people around you: a "board of trustees,". They can give honest opinions to help you improve. This is especially important for leaders, whose words and actions carry much weight and there is a tendency to create an echo chamber around the leader. Such feedback not only helps refine approaches but fosters an environment of learning and growth.
5. Building Trusted Relationships at Work: We talked about the art of building trusting relationships at work, and how this feeds into the global agenda on preventing loneliness. It’s about observing people’s actions, not just their words, to see if they’re trustworthy: do people do what they say they’re going to do? While the lines between work relationships and friendships can blur, it’s essential to find that balance. Adam’s advice encourages developing meaningful connections that are both genuine and beneficial.
Here are some ways that you can develop your self-aware leadership skills from my conversation with Adam:
Engage in Self-Reflection and Name Your Emotions: Adam emphasises the importance of naming your emotions to better understand and process them. By identifying and articulating feelings, you can better regulate them and make conscious decisions.
Build a Board of Trustees: Establish a group of trusted people who can provide honest feedback and help you shape your decisions. By consulting them, you can ensure your actions and communications align with your intentions and values.
Record and Review Your Own Actions: Record yourself in various settings, such as giving presentations or in meetings. Watching or listening to your recordings can provide critical insights into how you present yourself and help you identify areas for improvement. It might not be fun, but it’ll definitely be worthwhile!
Practice Humility and Growth Mindset: Adopt a growth mindset, where you are open to learning from your mistakes and seeking continuous improvement. This includes having the humility to accept feedback and use it to become a better leader.
These actions, inspired by the insightful discussion I had with Adam, can guide you in enhancing you self-awareness and developing your leadership skills.
Enjoy this episode! Also available on…
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Nia is an expert leader who talks the talk and walks the walk. She is an academically awarded thought leader in self-aware leadership and practices self-aware leadership every single day in her role as a Director in a Children’s Charity.
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Harvard Reference: Thomas, N.D., 2024. The Self-Awareness Superhighway: Charting Your Leadership Journey. Knowing Self Knowing Others.
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