A520 1.6.RB- Self Awareness

Since beginning the MSLD program I have gone through many changes in the way that I think and the way that I would react to certain situations. When I think about the “five core aspects of self-awareness (Whetton and Cameron pg. 63), I think about how much I have been able to learn about myself and the changes which I have made over this past year.

Right from the beginning of this program I was introduced to a new way of thinking, I learned how to critically think; critical thinking involves three parts “asking questions, answering those questions by reasoning, and believing in the results of our reasoning” (Gerald M. Nosich pg.5). Critical thinking gave me the skills I needed to actually think instead of react. I believe that many people cannot say that they trully think about problems, in life we resolve issues in a matter of seconds; I now believe that it can be advantageous to take my time and think about difficult problems. During my first class in this program I was able to catch all of the mistakes which I was constantly making through quick decision making. The process of recognizing that I need to work on my routines and the way I went about life was a powerful indicator of the importance of core self-evaluation.

In my previous course I was able to study and get to learn the ins and outs of what emotional intelligence truly is and its value to an organization. Many times in the past I have caught myself saying that employees need to work as hard as possible no matter what they are feeling; I felt that many times people spent too much time complaining and not enough time being productive. To understand emotional intelligence and to increase what many consider an emotional IQ, I had to really take a step back and think about how important it is for people in your team to be happy. When we talk about topics like organizations reaching their goals we have to realize where emotional intelligence and success go hand in hand. “When setting goals people must be able to attain them or they will view it as impossible or abandon it” (Donald R. Brown pg. 351); this is an example of how understanding your team and setting realistic goals to improve moral can really help an organization. Not understanding your employees and having a weak sense of emotional intelligence will hurt an organization. If I had not gone through my previous course I would have never been able to see certain issues about the psychological aspects of an employee’s health at work.

I believe that going through these changes have given me a new outlook on life and business and I have been able to adapt to a new way of study, I believe that through self-reflection I have been able to improve my “Attitude towards change” (Whetton and Cameron pg. 63). In our text it talks about how we know that humans are born with certain attributes and personalities but what we also have to realize is that fact that behaviors can be changed through knowledge and a thorough core self-evaluation. When we are able to take a look at where the business world is heading we have to keep an open mind as to how we will handle ourselves. We see that technology is improving every day and we are exposed to so much information that there is no telling where the world is headed. The important thing for a future leader to keep in my mind is that anything is possible and our attitude towards has to remain open and free of judgement.

I believe that all of the topics which I have talked about earlier are all interconnected but one important key aspects when making yourself aware of the change which has occurred in me throughout the MSLD program is the dedication to my values. My personal standards and moral judgement is what in my opinion brings everything together. For me to make a proper evaluation on myself I have to start at the base of my values and realize who or what I want to become. I know that being a leader will require me to keep an open mind in a changing world, keep pushing myself to continue improving, and to be fair to others. Without these values I will not be able to make an honest evaluation of myself and welcome the change which is needed to be the best at my job. The MSLD program is helping me become what I need to be so that one day I can become a great leader but it is in my hands to allow the program to accomplish this transformation.

Reference:

-       Brown, D. (2011). An experiential approach to organizational development (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

-       Whetten, D., & Cameron, K. (2011). Developing Management Skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

-       Nosich, G. (2012). What is Critical Thinking? In Learning To Think Things Through (Fourth ed., p. 5). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.