Leader Skills Series: Recap (Intrapersonal)

We spend our whole lives getting to know ourselves, unlearn old habits, and becoming who we are as an individual, member of a group, and leader. These aren't skills that can just be taken in a management workshop, graduate school or webinar. Leaders practice them over and over. The same skills we practiced at 15 or 35 or 65 reveal our growth, understanding and relationship to ourselves. Before we move on to interpersonal skills, let's recap our list of intrapersonal skills for leaders. 

 
Awareness of self - Leaders must establish relationship with themselves. You do this by increasing your intimacy with yourself.

Awareness of impact - This is your ability to describe your lived experience, both as a reflection and in the moment. 

"I" - How to think more holistically about who you are, and speak from your personal and multidimensional experiences.

Self-management - More than regulating emotions, it's self-awareness + awareness of impact + plus action. 

Direct Connection - How to speak to (not about) another person, but more importantly connect with them. 

Congruence - An important reframe on authentic leadership.

Joy - It's  an activation of purpose, a clue of belonging, and quite possibly what can heal the world. 

Land - The leadership competency that is missing, and critical to shaping who you are as a leader. 

HSL - The love languages that actually create transformation.

Curiosity - If you can't consistently practice curiosity, you can't lead. Period.

Purpose - The four existential questions that help you know what you're about.

Becoming - My favorite leadership competency. Equal parts wayfinding, flow, grace and mystery.

There are so many ways of learning and leading. I believe, today's leaders need these skills. What would you add to the intrapersonal skill list? What practices help you better know and form a better relationship to yourself? ​

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