the self-aware leader (166214531)

7/29/2019 The Self-Aware Leader (166214531)

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The Self-Aware Leader David G Swartz, PhD

CIO, American University

EDUCAUSE Institute Leadership Faculty



EDUCAUSE Institute Leadership Program

The Leadership Program is intended to broaden perspectives and

enhance leadership abilities, enabling the participants to assume

greater leadership roles in information technology areas within

their institutions.

Presentations from leading CIOs and other university executives

cover the abilities and skills needed for successful leadership. Designed as a leadership immersion experience, this intensive

program engages participants in interactive sessions in a small-scale

setting throughout the day and into the evening.

The program is appropriate for new CIOs or experienced senior IT

leaders aspiring to CIO/executive-level leadership.

The 5-day program is presented once each summer (i.e., July).



Top Ten University Leadership Abilities

1. Knowledge of University (culture, environment, politics, processes, different

perspectives, goals, and challenges)2. Strategic Thinking (smart, see big picture, visionary, creative, and a planner)

3. Execution (operations, portfolio and project management, change management,

and budgeting)

4. Communications (informing, listening, selling and motivating)

5. Decision Making (analytical skills and sound judgment)

6. Honesty (trustworthy, credible, ethical, and follow “Golden Rule”)

7. Hard Worker (committed, loyal, multi-tasker, energetic, positive and optimistic)

8. Risk Taker (not afraid of failure, confidence in self and others, delegator and not

micromanager)

9. Relationship Management (friendliness, empathy, civility, diplomatic, negotiating,

partnering, conflict resolution, networking, and team building)10. Self-Awareness (knowledge of self, emotional intelligence and knowledge of

others, manage stress and maintain health and wellness, the very foundation of

leadership ability)



Overview

What is self-awareness?

Why is self-awareness important to leadership?

How do you develop self-awareness?



Know Thyself!

The importance of self-

awareness has been

recognized since the

ancient Greeks. The maxim to know thyself

was written above the

Temple of Apollo at Delphi

and is scattered throughoutthe writings of Plato and

other philosophers.

NOSCE TE IPSUM



Without Self-Awareness

Socrates was noted tohave said “The

unexamined life is not

worth living”.

Further, he indicated

that without knowledge

of the self we go

through life as a“sleepwalker”.

Socrates



Are we sleepwalking or even insane?



What is Self-Awareness?

Self-awareness is the mostbasic aspect of who we are.

René Descartes said “I

think, therefore I am.

I would reverse this order as did the Danish

philosopher Soren

Kierkegaard and say:

“I am, therefore I think”.

René Descartes

Soren Kierkegaard



Is that a snake?

Awareness is like light in a

dark room.

Without adequate light we

could mistake a rope for asnake and be filled with

fear.

The only antidote is more

light or awareness.



Who am I?

The spotlight of awareness falls on

the self when a person starts to

inquire: Who am I?

When asking such a question, youmay respond with something about

your physical, emotional or mental

nature.

Without some detachment you, the

observer, may be affected by

attachments or identification, therebyconfusing who you are.

I am



Identification with the Body

Identification: The body is not

perfect, so I am imperfect.

In adolescence, individuals

are particularly subject to

attachment to the body and

even clothing. Their image of themselves

often hinges on their

perception of what others

think of their physical

appearance.



Identification with Thoughts

Identification: If my knowledge is

incomplete, then I am incomplete.If my thoughts are better, than I am

better.

Attachments to thoughts such as

beliefs or opinions can affect

interaction with others and view of ourselves.

Wars and acts of terrorism have

been conducted over beliefs.

The 2008 Mumbai terrorist act

resulted in the massacre of 156

individuals.

Including one

of my closestfriends, Alan

Scherr, and

his daughter

Naomi.



Forgiving the Unforgiveable(also see book by this name)

One Life AllianceThe purpose of OLA is to

inspire and encourage the

conversation about

oneness and thesacredness of life and to

prevent acts of violence

and terrorism through

understanding, knowledge,engagement, and

transformation. Kia Scherr and President Obama in India

and the creation of the One Life Alliance



Identification with Emotions

Identification : If our emotions are not pure,

then I am impure.

If we are too attachedto emotions we can

easily let our emotions

govern our behavior in

negative ways. When you lose your temper, you lose.



Taking Responsibility

In Gestalt therapy the old adageis "awareness equals

responsibility."

If you are aware of the emotion

then you are "able to be

responsible“ for it in the moment.

Often it is said in leadership

training:

You have to name it to tame it!



Socratic Method

Logical means of

inquiry to the discovery

of truth about yourself.

If you can observe

something then you

must not be it.

If we are not these

things I thought myself

to be then what am I?

Pure awareness

I am NOT trees or sky

alsoI am NOT the body

I am NOT feelings

I am NOT thoughts



Self-Awareness and Leadership

Self-awareness is aboutbeing comfortable with

who you are.

The happier you are with

yourself the more likelyyou’ll be to treat others

with kindness.

To lead people you must

understand them and byunderstanding ourselves

we are better able to

understand others.

Develop self-awareness in

yourself and take that balance

into the world and transform it.



Emotional Intelligence

Leaders with strongself-awareness have

the ability to recognize,

understand and deal

with emotions in

themselves and others.

Self-aware leaders can

build the relationshipsthat allow them to lead.

EI

Self

Awareness

Self

Control

Awareness

of Others

Relationship

Management



What determines our state of

awareness?

The Three BasicDimensions: Mental,

Physical, and Emotional

help to determine our level

of awareness and overall

health and wellness.

University wellness

programs often expand to

six dimensions including

Spiritual, Environmentaland Social.



Physical

Emotio

nal

How can we balance these dimensions?

Physical – exercise,

proper diet and rest.

Emotional – detach

from the negative, and

flow the positive suchas gratitude, kindness

and forgiveness.

Mental – positivethinking and meditation.

All the dimensions

interact and affect each

other.



Why Meditation?

Improved Concentration – A clear mind makes you more

productive and able to listen and observe better.

Less Bothered – Do you sometimes allow yourself to get

upset by little things? Meditation helps us detach and enter a

state of stillness and peace.

Better Health – Numerous studies point to the health

benefits of meditation, since it reduces stress levels.

Improved Creativity and Intuition - Meditation allows us to

tap into the subconscious and utilize a larger percentage of our potential.

Knowledge of Self – Meditation enables us to have a

deeper understanding of our inner self.



Well Known Meditators

Steve Jobs (former Apple CEO) -meditation taught him to concentrate and

ignore distractions, and trust intuition.

Larry Ellison (Oracle CEO) – encourages

his senior executives to meditate. Dave Lynch (film-maker: Dune, Elephant

Man, Twin Peaks) – “True happiness is not

out there, true happiness lies within”.

Marc Benioff (Salesforce.com CEO) – “Iam very interested in keeping a clear head.

So I enjoy meditation”.



Popular Types of Meditation

1. Transcendental Meditation (mantra

focus)

2. Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation

(breath focus)

3. High-Tech Meditation (brainwave

synchrony by synchronicity.org)

All these main styles of meditation go inward

and are subjective in their orientation. Also

these styles are focused on the realization of pure awareness or self-actualization

Brainwave Synchrony



Self-Actualization

As we come into balance then

pure awareness tends to

become more dominant in day

to day life.

We then approach a grounded

self-actualized state that

exhibits a growing level of

happiness and peace.

Spiritual mystical traditions and

even modern psychology set

this as a goal.

Happy for no good reason!



30 Day Challenge

1. 30 minutes of exercise a day (e.g., walk).

2. Maintain a balanced diet including

enough fresh fruit, vegetables, complex

carbs, low fat protein, and plenty of water.

3. Try to get 15 minutes of sunshine for

vitamin D or take multivitamin.

4. Smile more and remember to thank your

staff, family and others.

5. Stay positive – remove negative self-talk

and use an affirmation (e.g., YES) if needed.

6. Meditate using the High-Tech Meditation

audio tracks each day.

What can you expect?

Better Health

Happier

More Self-Awareness



THANK YOU

Dave Swartz

[email protected]



Forgiving The Unforgivable: The True Story of HowSurvivors of the Mumbai Terrorist Attack Answered Hatred

with Compassion by Master Charles Cannon, Neale

Donald Walsh (Afterword), and Eckhart Tolle (Foreword),

2012.

Synchronicity.org web site with theta brainwave

synchrony soundtracks (Sounds of Source 1-4).

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

by Eckhart Tolle, 2004.

Mindful Leadership by Maria Gonzalez, 2012. Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul: How to

Create a New Self by Deepak Chopra, 2010.

References

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