Skills to Build Awareness

<p>When was the last time you felt truly seen?</p> <p> </p> <p>I’m talking about the type of connection where you feel heard, validated, and unafraid of being judged—where you feel safe enough to be fully vulnerable.</p> <p> </p> <p>For me, it was when I met up with my friend from high school during a conference in Dallas. We rented an Airbnb, ordered takeout, and hung out just like the old days.</p> <p> </p> <p>We spent 18 hours in that Airbnb, but only 5 of them were spent sleeping. For the other 13, we connected on a level that had me opening up about things I hadn’t talked about in more than a decade.</p> <p> </p> <p>Why? Because I trusted that not only could I be honest with her, but she would also be honest with <em>me</em>.</p> <p> </p> <p>Having relationships that are mutually vulnerable is essential to developing self-awareness, which is a core component of building schools of excellence.</p> <p> </p> <p>In this week’s bonus podcast episode, I offer a series of tactical tips for building self-awareness for yourself and your staff. </p> <p> </p> <p>These are the same strategies I use with members inside my <a href= "https://schoolsofexcellence.com/directors-inner-circle-owners-hq/"> Director's Inner Circle & Owner's HQ</a>, where school leaders learn how to support their staff and build cultures of excellence. </p> <p> </p> <p>In addition to the impact of genuine friendships, this episode covers:</p> <p> </p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The importance of knowing your priorities</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Why you should get comfortable with receiving feedback</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Self-awareness as a skill (that takes lots and lots of practice!)</li> </ul><br/> <p> </p> <p>When you increase your capacity for looking <em>inward</em>, you create a ripple effect of change <em>outward</em>. And that is the mark of an effective school leader.</p> <p> </p> <p>Resources and links mentioned in this episode:</p> <p> While self-awareness is an