Harvard Business Review Manager's Handbook

42Develop a Leader Mindset

to be realistic. Cultivating self-awareness is hard, because we often mask

what’s toughest for us to handle with emotions that feel safer.

To develop awareness around your behavior, identify patterns in the

way you act on your feelings. When you feel angry, do you lash out or do

you withdraw? When a task intimidates you, do you hang back or take

over? Audit yourself briefl y at the end of each day, for example, during your

commute: What positive and negative emotions did you have today? When

during the day did you feel effective, and what behaviors felt off? What do

you think was driving your emotions and actions today?

You can ask yourself these questions on the spot, too—for example,

after you lose your cool with ...