Mastering Internal Self-Awareness: A City Manager’s Guide to Impactful Leadership

Yesterday, we introduced Tasha Eurich’s book “Insight” and its relevance to municipal leadership. Today, we’re diving deeper into her thoughts on internal self-awareness, a crucial component of the Awareness pillar in my ABCs of Impactful Leadership framework.

Understanding Internal Self-Awareness

Internal self-awareness involves clearly seeing your own values, passions, aspirations, fit with your environment, reactions, and impact on others. For city managers, this isn’t a maybe—it’s a critical skill for navigating complex political landscapes and making decisions that align with both personal and community values.

Key Takeaways for Municipal Leaders

1. Values Alignment: Regularly reflect on your personal core values and how they align with your city’s mission. This ensures authenticity in your leadership and helps you make decisions that resonate with both you and your community.
2. Emotional Intelligence: Recognize your emotional reactions to challenging situations. This awareness can prevent knee-jerk responses during contentious council meetings or heated public forums, allowing for more measured and effective leadership.
3. Strengths and Weaknesses: Honestly assess your capabilities. Knowing where you excel and where you need support helps in delegating effectively and building a complementary team. Remember, acknowledging areas for improvement isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a hallmark of strong, self-aware leadership.
4. Decision-Making Patterns: Understand your decision-making style. Are you analytical, intuitive, or collaborative? This awareness can help you adapt your approach to different situations and ensure you’re leveraging your strengths while mitigating potential blind spots.

Implementing Internal Self-Awareness Practices

• Daily Reflection: Spend 10 minutes as you end your workday reflecting on the day. What decisions aligned with your values? Where did you feel most confident or challenged? This practice can help you identify patterns and areas for growth.
• Feedback Loop: Create a trusted circle of advisors who can provide honest feedback on your leadership style and decisions. This might include mentors, peers from other municipalities, or even an executive coach. Remember, it takes humility to seek and truly hear feedback, but the insights gained are invaluable.
• Mindfulness Techniques: Incorporate mindfulness practices to stay present and aware during high-stress situations. This could be as simple as taking a few deep breaths before important meetings or decisions, helping you respond thoughtfully rather than reactively.
• “What” Questions: Practice asking yourself “what” questions instead of “why” questions. For example, instead of “Why did this project fail?”, ask “What can I learn from this experience?” This shift can lead to more constructive insights and solutions.

By enhancing your internal self-awareness, you become more grounded, authentic leaders. This not only improves your decision-making but also builds trust with your teams and communities. It allows you to lead with intention rather than simply reacting to the daily pressures of municipal governance.

In our next post, we’ll explore external self-awareness and its impact on stakeholder management—a critical skill for any city manager navigating the diverse needs and expectations of their community.

I’m curious to hear about your experiences with internal self-awareness. Have you found certain practices particularly helpful in your role as a municipal leader? Share your thoughts in the comments on my LinkedIn page, and let’s learn from each other’s journeys in leadership growth.

Don’t forget to tune into this week’s episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, where I discussed practical applications of these self-awareness techniques in municipal leadership.

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Seth Winterhalter is President of HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions, dedicated to making stronger cities through stronger leaders. Through executive coaching, consulting, and the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), HaltingWinter helps city managers and municipal leaders transform their leadership impact and their organizational culture.