Erik Kruger discusses self-awareness, understanding patterns/beliefs/triggers, modulating interactions. Importance of engagement/simple message/actions. Books 'Act on Verba' and 'Dangerous'. Challenges of reinvention and changing perception. Triggers, limited emotional intelligence. Consequences of lack of self-awareness in leaders and team members.
Self-awareness is crucial in leadership, allowing individuals to understand their patterns, beliefs, and triggers, and how they impact their interactions with others.
Developing self-awareness requires consistent reflection and introspection, as well as seeking feedback from others to gain a more accurate understanding of one's impact and behaviors.
Deep dives
The Importance of Self-Awareness in Leadership
Self-awareness is crucial in leadership, allowing individuals to understand their patterns, beliefs, and triggers, and how they impact their interactions with others. The process involves becoming more conscious of one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and actively choosing how to respond to stimuli. By being self-aware, leaders can modulate their reactions, maintaining calmness and consideration rather than being driven by impulsive emotions. This self-awareness not only benefits leaders in their personal growth but also creates a positive and grounded environment for effective communication and collaboration.
Eric Krueger's Journey from Better Man to Leadership Coaching
Eric Krueger underwent a transformative journey from being a physiotherapist to building Better Man, a platform focused on personal growth and development. Through Better Man, Eric emphasized the importance of intentionality in daily actions and cultivated a community centered around growth and accountability. While the success of Better Man led to opportunities like hosting events and providing coaching, Eric ultimately made the transition to leadership coaching and executive training. This involved leaving behind Better Man, which had become a significant part of his identity, and redirecting his focus towards helping leaders adapt to modern challenges and cultivate effective teams.
Key Concepts from Eric Krueger's Books: Acton and Verba & Dangerous
Eric Krueger's book, Acton and Verba, compiles a collection of reflections and email newsletters that aimed to encourage intentional action and personal growth. It focuses on the idea of being more self-aware and purposeful in daily endeavors. Dangerous, on the other hand, originated from a coaching session where the term "harmless" resonated with a CEO who felt stuck in survival mode. Eric helped him rediscover his assertiveness, leading to the realization that being dangerous means becoming a threat to one's own obstacles. The book emphasizes the need to break patterns and take bold action in order to create positive changes.
Developing Self-Awareness and Navigating Change
Developing self-awareness requires consistent reflection and introspection. Having a daily reflective practice, such as journaling or creating a scorecard, allows individuals to assess their thoughts, behaviors, and interactions regularly. This practice builds awareness of patterns and triggers. However, self-reflection can only take one so far, as blind spots and limitations exist. Seeking feedback from others is essential for gaining a more accurate understanding of one's impact and behaviors. Accepting and acting upon constructive feedback helps individuals grow and develop their emotional intelligence, ultimately allowing them to navigate change more effectively.
Recently, Erik Kruger and John Sanei have made guest appearances on a range of different podcasts. And we wanted to bring those conversations to you too.
This episode was first published on the Dunamis EQ podcast in October 2023.
Tolu Adeberkan is the host hosts of Dunamis EQ and is interested in the correlation between emotional intelligence and leadership.
That’s why in this episode, you’ll hear Erik Kruger dive into the importance of self-awareness, understanding our patterns, beliefs, and triggers, and how to use that knowledge to modulate our interactions with others.
Dunamis EQ with Tolu Adebekun: https://dunamiseq.com/
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