Developing Self-Awareness in How We Learn to Frame the World

Dear reader,

I've recently concluded that the most essential attribute of leadership is credibility. We follow leaders we trust, and we trust people not because of what they say, but because of who we believe they are.

As the world is being shaped by messages and images created through generative AI, the need for credibility is that much more critical. Beyond the difficulty of determining whether we are communicating with another human being or an AI bot, or whether what we are being shown is real or contrived, it's becoming increasingly complex to discern whether a person in your presence is being honest and sincere or duplicious and manipulative.

Truth, which was once considered a necessary virtue for earning people's respect, has been relegated to a relative reality. It seems that an increasing number of people accept being "mostly truthful" as sufficient - and value expedience over honesty.

At the same time, I am more convinced than ever of the need for genuine leadership - in business and all areas of society. A good place to begin is to recognize that vulnerability and transparency are essential aspects of establishing the kind of credibility that we find in the types of highly effective leaders we need in an increasingly VUCA world.

Rather than tell you how to do this, this week's essay endeavors to demonstrate what I mean by example.

Have a great week ahead.

prl

Developing Self-Awareness in How We Learn to Frame the World

I love the way my mind works. And how my sense of curiosity informs my perspective on the world. I am playful when I want to be, and serious when I have to be. How we think defines who we are.

I spend a lot of time observing people, both professionally and casually. It’s interesting to me how observing others helps me understand myself better.

I enjoy spending time with myself. I like who I am – complete with my faults, baggage, and issues. I like the face that stares back at me in the mirror. I enjoy my voice in conversations, and the life I have surrounded myself with. I think, “what’s not to like?” – apart from the ten pounds I should shed. I would also prefer not to have leukemia or mild hypertension, but accept that there are some things about me that I can improve and others I can’t change.

I sometimes catch myself posing for my reflection. I was an avid photographer when I was younger. Working professionally, I observed that most people have little sense of how they appear in others’ eyes. We make controlled adjustments and mental deletions when we look at our reflections. It’s why many people hate seeing themselves in pictures. It wasn’t that unusual for some people to cringe or flat-out reject as terrible photographs I had taken of them, even though they clearly captured their features and essence.

There are people with outsized egos who are overly concerned about their appearance, while others struggle to recognize the beauty others see in them. I sense that, more than vanity, it’s likely a combination of obscured self-awareness, fears and insecurities, and some basic imagination.

I still look at the world in much the same way as when I used the viewfinder on my camera to frame images. I focus on and accentuate what I find worthwhile and sharing, while subduing or eliminating what I don’t. I could quickly frame a photograph with my camera without giving it much thought. At other times, I carefully studied my subject, taking pains to craft a precise image. The spontaneous expressions revealed things I found fascinating about the world, and the more studied ones tended to reveal things about me.

I now use words the way I used to take photographs. I enjoy spontaneous, light-hearted observations that are insightful and entertaining. However, I find that what I truly crave are meaningful dialogues that inspire me to view the world through lenses other than my own.

Writing is just a learnable craft. But the process of deeply considering what I write forces me to keep evolving as a human being. Essays, like this one, begin as a stream of thoughts that point towards an idea and take me wherever they may lead. I then pose and preen my words, seeking beauty, symmetry, and effect so my meaning and purpose are clear and accessible – so that you might understand, not just what I think, but who I am.

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