Angela Marshlek, Director of Training and Organizational Development at Bassett Mechanical, is passionate about leadership and personal growth. In her role, she guides leaders on their journey to self-awareness, empowering them to break free from self-preservation and unlock their hidden potential.
In this episode, Angela explains why self-awareness is key to being a better leader. Listen in as she shares insights on how to slow down and ask better questions to understand yourself and others more deeply and connect in more meaningful ways.
Truth You Can Act On
1. Get Good at Asking Great Questions
After teaching, I moved into business and industry, and I had an amazing job at the technical college as an organizer of training and development. I noticed that if I asked the right questions, there was an interest in creating a safe environment for people. People started feeling safe and creating a safe holding environment for people. And so I realized that self-awareness has a lot to do with what’s not being said. And I thought about that as I continued my career.
2. Learn How Others Perceive You
Most people would say, ‘Self-awareness is I know me, I know the strengths and areas of opportunity for me, and I can navigate the challenges that come my way.’ And I always tell people that’s 50% correct. There’s a whole other 50% out there when it comes to self-awareness. 50% is knowing yourself, but how others perceive you is the other 50%. As leaders, it’s not so much, ‘I can just be me and be myself.’ It’s, ‘Am I being creditable, and am I showing up for others in a healthy and a safe and a very cooperative, engaging way?’ Most leaders don’t think about their perception, their credibility, and that’s a big thing to think about because how you show up for others is how they lean into you.
3. Slow Down to Be More Self-Aware
A lot of people don’t really realize how much they are on autopilot. I recently got certified from the Neuroscience Institute on neuromindfulness, and it’s amazing what I learned in that particular course because it taught me that the brain very habit-forming around negativity. It takes intentionality to really slow down and not become almost like a robot day to day. If I could tell you one thing I heard from leaders in the past 20 years, it’s ‘Ang, I’m just too busy. I can’t slow down.’ And I’m like, ‘We have to be intentional and teach the mind to teach the brain to slow down again.
Book Recommendation:
Listen to the full episode: 186: The Self-Aware Leader with Angela Marshalek
