The Power of Self-Awareness

FROM THE DESK OF LEILANY LIMA

Welcome to the inaugural edition of The Growth Compass!

You can think of this newsletter as your monthly navigation system for personal and professional development. Whether you're leading a team or nurturing your own growth journey, each edition will share evidence-based practices and powerful tools to cultivate your strengths and overcome challenges.

What's in your Compass?

Each edition offers bite-sized wisdom for the busy yet growth-minded individual (Coordinates), and an extended deeper dive section (Inner Compass) with a link for those wanting to read the full article on my website (yes, it's free).
Here's how to navigate:

• COORDINATES: Quick action steps for self-development and team leadership (for the TLDR folks).
• INNER COMPASS: The heart of each edition exploring key concepts with transformative strategies (for deep divers).
• EXPLORER'S GUIDE: Curated resources to explore further. Q&A addressing reader-submitted challenges. Upcoming events and opportunities (something for everyone).

Shall we begin?

COORDINATES

Self-Direction

Schedule 15 minutes this week (yes, go put it in your calendar) to explore these self-awareness prompts:

1. How do I respond to stress? Notice your physical reactions, emotional patterns, and automatic coping mechanisms.
2. When do I feel most energized versus drained? Identify situations where you naturally thrive or struggle.
3. How do I prefer to receive recognition and feedback? Consider what motivates you and how you like others to communicate with you.
4. What triggers strong emotional reactions in me? Recognize your "buttons" that consistently provoke automatic responses.

Benefits: Exploring these questions honestly will position you to make more conscious decision, communicate your needs more effectively, and navigate challenges with greater emotional intelligence (and who doesn't want that?).

Team Navigation

As a leader, extend self-awareness practices to your team:

1. Incorporate into 1:1 meetings: Ask team members how they prefer to receive constructive feedback and praise, and what energizes or depletes them at work.
2. Use for team building: Dedicate 15 minutes in a team meeting for everyone to reflect individually, then share insights they're comfortable discussing, to build mutual understanding and respect for different working styles.
3. Apply the insights: Adjust your approach based on individual preferences especially during stress or challenging situations. Pro tip: Keep a record of your team's answers and review before meetings - this will demonstrate you listened and took their needs to heart.

Team Benefit: When team members understand themselves and each other, communication improves, conflicts decrease, and collaboration becomes more effective, transforming differences into strengths.

INNER COMPASS

There are remarkably few things in life we truly have control over. For some, this reality feels frustrating or even overwhelming; for others, it becomes a source of clarity and empowerment. The difference? A simple but profound awareness: while we can't control most circumstances, we absolutely can control our response to them. This insight - that our power lies in self-direction rather than controlling external events - is the quiet game-changer that transforms how we navigate both life and leadership.

So how do we make the shift from a feeling of limitation to becoming resourceful and resilient? We start with self-awareness. With knowing ourselves better - our strengths, our triggers, our natural tendencies. Through the practice of self-awareness, we unlock our ability to make more intentional choices rather than simply reacting on autopilot.

Understanding Your Natural Patterns

We each have unique ways of showing up in the world. In my past 15 years of counseling and coaching individuals, I've found that four key dimensions can help us map our natural tendencies:

1. How we influence: Do you naturally speak up and take charge, or prefer to build consensus and work collaboratively?
2. How we connect: Do you tend to recharge through interaction and input from a wide circle of people, or do you prefer deeper connections with close friends and intentional internal processing?
3. How we pace ourselves: Do you thrive on variety, quick shifts, and deadlines, or prefer consistency and thoughtful transitions?
4. How we approach structure: Do you feel most comfortable with clear guidelines and detailed plans, or do you prefer flexibility and room for spontaneity?

None of these approaches is inherently "right" or "wrong," "better" or "worse," and our responses may vary based on the situation we imagine ourselves in – these are simply different ways of navigating our world. Our power lies in recognizing our patterns and learning to leverage them consciously.

How These Patterns Show Up in Life and Work

Think about someone you know who's naturally direct and decisive. They likely bring wonderful clarity to projects and conversations, yet they might occasionally miss nuances or rush past important concerns from others. Meanwhile, the naturally collaborative person creates inclusive environments where everyone feels heard, but might struggle when quick, independent decisions are needed.

Similarly, those who love social connection often build strong networks and communicate with enthusiasm, while more reserved individuals typically offer deeper analysis and thoughtful perspectives. Both approaches create value in different contexts.

Your pace preference affects everything from how you manage your calendar to how you respond to unexpected changes. Those who seek consistency provide reliability but may find transitions challenging; while variety-seekers adapt quickly but might struggle to focus and complete what they started.

And your relationship with structure influences how you organize both work and personal life. Detail-oriented folks bring thoughtful precision but might get stuck seeking perfection; adaptable types pivot easily but may miss important specifics or fail to establish helpful routines.

Growing Beyond Your Default Settings

The most meaningful growth happens when we step beyond our habitual responses. Understanding your natural preferences isn't about labeling or limiting yourself—it's about recognizing when your default patterns serve you well and when intentionally choosing a different approach might better align with your goals and values.

For example, if you typically avoid conflict because you value harmony, you might grow by:

1. Practicing expressing disagreement in low-stake situations
2. Preparing thoughtful talking points before difficult conversations
3. Remembering that healthy conflict often leads to better solutions

Or if your love of spontaneity sometimes creates chaos in your life or for those around you, you might:

1. Experiment with simple planning tools to create helpful structure
2. Set calendar reminders and alarms for important deadlines and commitments
3. Partner with more structured friends or colleagues for balance

The true power of self-awareness lies in this conscious choice point - the moment when you recognize your automatic pattern emerging and pause to consider: "Is this my best option right now?" This awareness creates space between stimulus and response where your freedom to choose lives. By noticing our patterns without judgment and deliberately selecting our next move, we continuously expand our capacity to respond effectively to life's waves.

Simple Practices to Deepen Self-Awareness

Whether you're leading a team or focusing on personal development, these practices can help you continue growing your self-awareness:

Reflection rituals: Set aside even just 5 minutes at the end of each day to notice what energized you and what drained you. Over time, powerful patterns will emerge.

Curiosity conversations: Invite honest input from people you trust about how they experience you. Simple questions like "When do you see me at my best?" and "What do you think might be holding me back?" can reveal invaluable insights.

Emotional awareness: When you feel a strong reaction bubbling up, pause and get curious about it before responding. What exactly triggered you, and why? These moments often reveal important values and unexamined assumptions.

Playful experimentation: Try small shifts in your typical approach - speaking up in a meeting if you're usually quiet, or listening more if you typically dominate - and notice what happens. Approach these experiments with a spirit of curiosity rather than judgment.

Self-awareness isn't something we achieve once and check off our list - it's an ongoing exploration that becomes richer and more rewarding over time. By understanding your natural patterns and consciously expanding your range, you create new possibilities for meaningful connection, impact, and fulfillment in all areas of your life.

Knowledge combined with conscious change transforms into wisdom. Now that you’re equipped with knowledge, what will you transform in yourself?

In Courage and Curiosity,
Leilany Lima