THE MASTERS SCHOOL ETHICAL LEADERSHIP PROJECT February 2018
The Importance of Self Awareness If you’ve watched the Ethical Leadership video on the Masters website you will hear both Matt and I focus a lot on building our students’ self-awareness —who they are, what they value and how to contend with the challenges to who they are as they move forward in life. There’s been a fair body of research that demonstrates that when people act in concert with their core values and personal interests, they are more effective people and have a greater sense of personal well-being. A recent research-based article in the Harvard Business Review this month (“What Self-Awareness Really Is and How to Cultivate It”) underscores this, breaking down self-awareness into two categories, Internal (how well you see/understand yourself and your impact on others) and External (how well you “read” how others see you). In general, people who are self-aware “...are more confident and creative. [They] make sounder decisions, build stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively. [They’re] less likely to lie, cheat and steal. [They] are better workers who get more promotions. And [they’re] more effective leaders with more-satisfied employees and more-profitable companies.” Of the two categories, the former, “Internal Self-Awareness,” is associated with “higher job and relationship satisfaction, personal and social control and happiness.” The latter, “External Self-Awareness,” is associated with “greater empathy and taking others’ perspectives.” Our goal in working with all students is to help them develop the core from which their decision and actions arise. We are always working to learn better ways to accomplish this and welcome all faculty to visit our classes and engage with our students in the process.