Question

One of the five elements of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. What behaviors would someone with strong self-awareness demonstrate within the context of leading and managing groups? Provide an example.

Answer 1

An effective leader is flexible, empathetic, and has an understanding of multiple leadership skills. This leaderships skills also includes having the ability to understand emotional intelligence, emotional intelligence and the skills it requires are important concepts to understand and master in order to become not only a leader but also a nursing leader (Huber, 2014). Self-awareness, an element of emotional intelligence, it is the ability of a person to be understand their feelings and emotions, and how these emotions can influence and affect those around them (Huber, 2014). Working as a nurse leader self-awareness means to be aware and understand how your attitude and emotions can influence and affect the employees that you are leading (Huber, 2014).

Someone one who encompasses self-awareness would display behaviors such as honesty, fairness, and empathy toward their employees. They would consider input from others before making changes or major decisions and be open to feedback and constructive criticism as well as display a flexible attitude. They would be loyal to themselves and their employees, allowing themselves to grow as a leader emotionally and professionally, but also allow for growth in their staff providing opportunities for them as well as support. Through self-awareness a leader would display actions and behaviors that treated their employee like they would personally want to be treated. These are just a few examples of behaviors that would be displayed by a leader who has mastered the concept of self- awareness.

An example of a leader demonstrating these behaviors of self-awareness would be providing in-services of their employees that allows the employees to utilize self- assessment tools in order to understand emotional intelligence and self-awareness. The information learned during these in-services would help the employee’s emotional development, followers also need self -awareness so that they can know themselves and their expectations (Huber, 2014). Being a leader who is self-ware of how their emotions and actions affect the staff is taking care of their staff in every way, by aiding their staff’s emotional development they are only increasing their self-awareness as a leader (Huber, 2014).

Reference:

Huber, D. (2014). Leadership and nursing care management. Elsevier Health Sciences