Unleashed E53: Tasha Eurich - Self-Awareness – The Path to Better Performance, Profitability and Relationships.

Lack of self-awareness could be costing you time, money, and relationships. The good news is we can improve results by learning to be more self-aware and help those around us do the same.

Dr. Tasha Erich is a researcher, author, and organizational psychologist who’s passionate about helping leaders, employees, businesses, and marriages get better by focusing on raising self-awareness.

Actions You Can Take Right Now

1. Recognize that self-awareness matters. Leaders and employees with high self-awareness create better relationships and get better results.
2. Self-awareness is will and skill to understand who we are on the inside and how we are seen on the outside. It is a learnable skill set if we make it a priority.
3. Improving our own self-awareness requires self-reflection and getting feedback from a handful of loving critics that we solicit input from on some regular basis.
4. Don’t avoid giving feedback especially if you are a leader. There is a correct approach to giving feedback that will be accepted and acted upon.

5. Find out how self-aware you are by taking Tasha’s Insights Quiz.

View or listen to this and other past episodes on the Unleashed Podcast Library

Episode Highlights and Excerpts

• Self-awareness is the will and skill to understand who we are on the inside and how we are seen on the outside.
• People who are more self-aware are “better performers at work, get more promotions, have better, stronger relationships, are better communicators, and are more effective and respected leaders.”
• Leaders who lack self-awareness are six times more likely to derail their teams, goals, and organizations. And evidence shows that organizations made up of highly self-aware individuals are more profitable.
• Beyond work, high self-awareness is correlated with better marriages and parenting.
• According to Tasha’s work, becoming more self-aware is a learnable skillset. Sadly, 95% of the population already believe they are self-aware, but in fact only 10-15% are. Human beings are hard wired to avoid the humility and self-assessment required to increase self-awareness. Also, the self-esteem movement that began in the 1960s further advanced self absorption over self-awareness.
• Knowing who we are internally involves rituals like reflection. Tasha recommends having a short, daily check-in with our own selves and honestly asking:
  • What went well today?
  • What didn’t?
  • How can I be smarter tomorrow?
• Knowing how we are seen by others requires getting honest feedback. This isn’t about large 360 surveys. Instead, find foster trusting relationships with a handful of loving critics who are committed to your wellbeing, while still having the courage to give you direct and sometimes difficult-to-hear feedback.
• We often have to deal with people who have low self-awareness. It’s important, especially for leaders, to have the courage to deal with the situation to help the individual and those around that person learn and grow.
• When feeling the need to give someone else feedback, don’t use the word “feedback.” That word can be a trigger and put people on the defensive. Instead, use this three-part process with a focus on the future:
  • “I can see you are frustrated by…”
  • “I have a couple of observations I’d be happy to give you.”
  • “Next time, why don’t you try …”
• Timing also matters when giving feedback to others. The best time is when you see someone struggling or having difficulty. When there is tension for change, people may be primed for some constructive help.
• Tasha invites people to take the Insights Quiz. This will help you get a read on your own level of self-awareness.

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Tasha Eurich

Dr. Tasha Eurich is an organizational psychologist, researcher, and New York Times bestselling author. Her life’s work is to help people become the best of who they are and what they do. Recognized as the world’s top communication and organizational culture thinker, and #1 self-awareness coach, Tasha is Principal of The Eurich Group, where she uses science to help successful executives achieve dramatic personal and organizational change.

As a coach, consultant, and speaker, Tasha has worked directly with tens of thousands of leaders and spoken live to hundreds of thousands more, on every continent but Antarctica. She is the author of Bankable Leadership (which debuted at #8 on the New York Times bestseller list), and Insight (which famed Wharton professor Adam Grant calls one of the three books he recommends most often). Tasha’s TEDx talks have been viewed more than nine million times. She also contributes to Harvard Business Review, and her expertise has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fox Business, the BBC, NPR, and more.