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Writer's pictureTim Evans

Developing Self-Perception

How to develop your self-perception with the EQ-i 2.0


It can often feel like focusing on yourself is, quite simply, a selfish thing to do. However, working on your inner self can actually improve your emotional intelligence, helping you to become a better leader and live a more fulfilling life.


According to the EQ-i 2.0 model, one of the 5 key areas of emotional intelligence is self-perception, which focuses on this idea of the inner self. This is measured by looking at a person's self-regard, self-actualisation, and emotional self-awareness. But how can you start developing your self-perception in the workplace?


1. Self-Regard


Individuals with self-regard respect themselves while understanding and accepting their strengths and weaknesses. It is often associated with feelings of inner strength and self-confidence and is strongly related to key leadership competencies, such as authenticity and sharing purpose. In addition, a low self-regard can result in lower motivation as well as being passed over for leadership opportunities.


How can I develop my Self-Regard?


List your strengths and areas for improvement. Ensure you are fully using each strength in your role, as this can help build confidence. For example, one of your strengths may be your high level of technical expertise. You can draw on this to present your opinions confidently in meetings, knowing that you have the expertise to support your views.


2. Self-Actualisation


Self-actualisation is the willingness to persistently try to improve oneself and engage in the pursuit of personally relevant and meaningful objectives. Whilst ‘pursuit of meaning’ may sound quite philosophical, in the business context it means finding purpose and enjoyment in your job and performing to your fullest potential. This area of emotional intelligence is found to strongly link with many aspects of transformational leadership, such as authenticity, innovation, coaching and sharing purpose.


How can I develop my Self-Actualisation?


Write down some of the things you do in your job that you enjoy and that motivate you to work to your full potential. Review this list each week to remind yourself of these positive aspects so that they can push you to do your very best. You can also try blocking off time in your calendar to ensure these motivating aspects do not fall down your list of priorities.


3. Emotional Self-Awareness


Emotional self-awareness includes recognising one’s own emotions whilst understanding the cause of these emotions and the impact they have on oneself and others. A solid understanding of this can make it easier to regulate your behaviour and control the impact your emotions have on those you work with. This is a key dimension of authentic and coaching competencies for effective leadership.


How can I develop my Emotional Self-Awareness?


When you feel an emotion, take the time to identify it, and ask yourself what triggered those feelings. If you find this difficult, try looking at your body language or asking those around you what emotion they think you are experiencing.


So, if you want to develop your self-perception, you can start by working on some of the key areas that are directly linked to effective leadership competencies; self-regard, self-actualisation and emotional self-awareness.


Contact us today to complete the EQ-i 2.0 yourself and measure your self-perception, or click here to learn more about the other key areas of emotional intelligence.

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