A520.1.6.RB - Self-Awareness

There are many variables that affect the self-awareness of an individual, but in my personal experience, the MSLD program has allowed me to reflect on my personality, values, and thinking style and has made me more aware of myself as a leader, both in a personal and professional capacity.

My awareness of my strengths and weaknesses through self-evaluation has been one of the most improved areas since beginning the program. There have been several courses with self-evaluations, self-surveys, and activities that allowed me to evaluate how I could contribute positively to an organization as a leader, and what areas I could work on to become a better leader.

I have also been more confident in showing and integrating my personal values into my decision making at work. I always assumed that it would be hard to gain acceptance by others if my values were different, but I was wrong. I have been able to act genuinely in every facet of my professional life because of the community I work within, and I gained the confidence through the program, classmates, and instructors I have worked with thus far.

My cognitive style, or ability to think critically and act upon these thoughts, has improved since starting the program. In my very first course, thinking critically was the main learning lesson, and it gave me the tools and education I needed to develop deep, creative thought around every subject in order to become a more effective, efficient, innovative leader.

In addition, my attitude toward change is also different. Learning about transformational leadership and how change affects the organization and employees is remarkable to me, so I have become more open to this idea. I use change in a part of my daily routine, figuring different ways to keep employees happy and also various methods for developing them. Change in the workplace is good if it’s in the hands of a positive leader.

Overall, the program has had a positive effect on me and my self-awareness. It has helped me improve in several areas of leadership, given me the confidence to embrace my personality and values, and it has opened my eyes to who I am as a leader.