Know Yourself

At TouchPoint we stack frameworks on frameworks on frameworks and then explore both the common ground and the gaps with very focussed lenses. 

This is how we extract the information and context that we need to deliver our programmes. 

There is not a single starting point at TouchPoint that does not begin with the question “what is my experience of and relationship with……..”

In other words, everything starts with “I”.

With you. 

Know yourself.

“This is not a new concept - "γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (gnōthi seauton), meaning "know thyself," was inscribed on the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, a sacred site in ancient Greece; it is the cornerstone of philosophical thought, and was, and should still be, considered the foundation for wisdom and self-improvement. 

Understanding oneself, according to this philosophy, means accepting one's limitations and embracing one's true nature, rather than striving to be someone else.

By knowing oneself, one can make better decisions, pursue meaningful goals, and live a more fulfilling life.”

(Thank you Google AI overview.)

What an amazing start to approaching Leadership: by exploring our true nature, wisdom and areas for improvement in an effort to make better decisions, pursue meaningful goals and live a more fulfilling life. 

We can begin to know ourselves by asking the TouchPoint starting point: 

“What is my experience of and relationship with leadership?”

Who was your first leader? How did they expect you to to follow? With Compliance? Did they command or demand respect? 

And then who was your first REAL leader? How different was the experience? What was it that inspired and motivated you? 

Do you think of being a really great leader? Who does that look like? What does that look like? How close are you to resembling that leader?

So if one of your primary experiences of leadership is one of strict authority, demanding compliance and limiting collaboration and questions, have you chosen the direct opposition of that, perhaps to your own detriment? Or are you unintentionally following that lead? 

Is your relationship with leadership one of compliance or defiance? And if you can identify one, do you favour one over the other in your teams? 

This work is so important in leadership - it is the first step to getting out of your own, and your team’s way. If you are able to take a step back and take a philosophical* view of your leadership, you can begin to affect real change. 

*philosophy being the activity people undertake to understand fundamental truths about themselves, the world in which they live, and their relationships to the world and to each other. (thanks again Google AI)

You see, once we can look at ourselves through different perspectives, we can explore how others experience and are impacted by us. 

How do your teams experience you as a leader? 

Wow. 

That’s a good one. 

How would you like them to experience your leadership? 

What steps can you take to get from where you are to where you want to be? 

See? That’s leadership. 

Know yourself. 

-Kate Bruce

Come and practise all of this with other leaders also looking to intentionally impact their teams for good, in our leadership challenge.