“This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

It’s a line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet that many people have heard, but most people can’t place its origin. Unfortunately, people often use the first part of the quote to rationalize their selfishness. More often than not you will hear someone repeat this phrase when they just don’t want to do what is expected of them, or more to the point, what is necessary.

Self-Evaluation

As Hamlet points out in the rest of the quote, “thou canst not then be false to any man.” The reality is that leaders should be true to themselves as a result of an extensive self-evaluation of their own character. Understanding in any situation is foundational to making an effective decision. It doesn’t matter if the decision is as basic as what to eat for breakfast, or as complex as setting the strategic initiative that places a company on the path to build a new product line. Not understanding the situation and the variables involved can lead to a disastrous outcomes.

Awareness

In emergency services, it is common to hear the phrase “situational awareness”. The American Psychological Association defines situational awareness as the “conscious knowledge of the immediate environment and the events that are occurring in it.” https://dictionary.apa.org/situation-awareness. It is an appropriate description of decision-making relative to effective emergency response.

However, as it pertains to the issue of being an effective leader, the description doesn’t go far enough. When serving as a leader, you must not only know what is going on around you, but must understand what is going on within you. In the middle of an emergency incident, responders who don’t “see the big picture” react to the circumstances in front of them. This shortsighted reaction can cause disastrous outcomes downline. Applying water to a fire without understanding what is on fire can have implications that destroy the environment or make the economic recovery of a community too costly.

Accountability

Without understanding, the decisions that seem correct right now may in fact be wrong. As a leader you must understand yourself. This means understanding your personal strengths and weaknesses before ever trying to lead people through challenging times. This understanding must include the very fabric of your own character. Is a leader willing to identify, and if necessary verbally communicate, their often character flaws? It’s one thing to know your own flaws, but are you willing to share them with someone who may hold you accountable. Being a leader is about being comfortable “in your own skin.”

Experience

It is a common belief that experience is the best teacher. However, just because someone has an experience it doesn’t mean they’ve learned anything at all. According to well know leadership teacher and speaker John Maxwell, “Experience isn’t the best teacher. Evaluated experience is the best teacher.” To truly learn something, it is not enough to simply experience it. You must turn it over, analyze it, and ultimately make changes based upon a realistic analysis of the inputs and outcomes.

If you are true to yourself then it is impossible to be false to others. Being true to self doesn’t equate to serving self. Understanding self establishes a foundation for the ability to make decisions that serve the greater good. Understanding self helps you to see blind spots and make adjustments based upon long-term objectives. This allows you to make hard decisions in challenging times. Self awareness allows you to place the good of the team ahead of the good of self.