What Questions Are You Willing to Ask of Yourself?

What Questions Are You Willing to Ask of Yourself?

What Questions Are You Willing to Ask of Yourself?

When it comes to improving ourselves, we usually seek out external sources, such as self-help programs, books, podcasts, seminars, and yes coaches too. It’s almost as if a lot of people have lost sight of the many rich experiences they’ve had through life and what they were all for.  So oftentimes we neglect what could potentially be our greatest teacher: ourselves.

Strange concept? Not quite. After all, we can read all the books in the world and have hours upon hours of coaching sessions, but at the end of the day, the only one who is willing to initiate the change is you. As a business owner or a professional of any kind, developing leadership skills or improving upon the foundations you currently have, are the first few steps towards higher profitability and more productivity in the workplace. I know you have all heard this before but do you really know what that means? Or another question to ask is “Are you fully aware of yourself?” What I’m referring to more specifically are your strengths, goals, skills, and attitudes. If not, this is where the first step is taken toward the path of higher success as well as personal growth.

This concept of “self coaching” takes practice and if practiced frequently can allow you to take the steps necessary to improving yourself, which will later allow you to determine exactly where you want to be at in your life and business. Only perseverance will get you to this point, because you have to truly want to change something about yourself.  That awareness and desire are two primary challenges, then next comes the willingness to put in the effort required to internalize those demands for change so the world can see a visible change in character and leadership abilities on the outset.

Leadership qualities also include interpersonal relations, which can be further enhanced once you have taken the first step of improving yourself. Leadership happens all the time, whether you’re talking on the phone, or sitting at a bar or restaurant. How you react to and engage in a conversation determines who you are as a leader and how you effectively manage yourself in social situations.

If you’re looking to be somewhere other than where you are right now, then it is time to start making the necessary changes to making those goals happen. Coaching can be a wonderful tool, but if you do not apply your new knowledge, which again just takes practice, then all the coaching you have had becomes useless. An unwillingness to internalize changes that will then produce new effects on the external figure of yourself only delays your process of evolvement.

You may also be one of those “hands off” leaders who choose not to micromanage, and that once your employees get it, you leave them alone. Allowing others to run with their responsibilities can be empowering for them, yet how are you being an example of leadership if you aren’t involved to some extent?  Being a leader is not just about telling people what to do or making decisions; you must also have the leadership qualities in place in order to be the most efficient leader possible.

You can be your own worst enemy and your own best friend. So when I say “through persistence and a determination you can become a better and bigger version of you”, what does this specifically look like or mean for you? A few ways you can engage in this self-exploration is by talking to a friend, a colleague or maybe someone you manage about what kind of leader you appear to be. I’ve heard that the fear around this is that it will make you appear weak or insecure, but if done in a powerful forthright way, you might also appear strong and assured since you’re willing to ask a typically perceived uncomfortable question.  In fact it’s the courageous leader who is willing to ask uncomfortable questions of situations, themselves and others. The results you’ll get and the enhancement of your interpersonal skills is what will support you in you being the leader your business deserves.