Emotional Awareness, Self-Assessment and Self-confidence.

¶ … emotional awareness, self-assessment and self-confidence. These are all important aspects of decision-making, as most decision-makers rely heavily on intuition to make even the most important decisions. The reading relies heavily on anecdotes to illustrate its points, perhaps tapping directly into that sense of gut instinct, rather than relying strictly on empirical data to make the point. At the core of the reading is the idea that one is more effective when one has a keen self-understanding. This high level of understanding leads to higher levels of self-control and higher levels of self-confidence. Ultimately, there is a connection drawn between these traits and superior intuition with respect to decision-making.

Self-awareness is defined by the author as being able to pinpoint the emotions we are feeling, and why; and understanding the links between these emotions and certain actions. When we are better aware of our strengths and weaknesses, we can use that knowledge to help our decision-making. Additionally, self-awareness allows us to be reflective, and learn from our experiences. When we lack self-awareness, we are less likely to consider our own role in how things have turned out.

Self-confidence is defined as presenting ourselves with self-assurance, being decisive and being able to voice views that may meet with objections. The courage to speak out is a particularly strong sign of self-confidence. Self-control is related -- being able to keep in control of one's emotions at all times. Being aware of one's emotions (self-awareness) is essentially the first step, with self-control being the next step. The author notes that higher levels of self-control lead to better outcomes because a person is less likely to panic in a difficult situation. There are many situations, especially when one is in a leadership position, where destructive impulses can undermine one's positive works. In these situations, self-control basically means self-preservation.

Innovation comes into the picture when a leader has the self-knowledge and self-confidence to devise innovative solutions. Leaders without a high level of self-confidence will typically be more conservative in their approach, and that can make it more difficult for those leaders to adjust. Innovation, therefore, comes from having a high level of confidence in one's abilities -- and that in turn comes from understanding your skills and how they can be best put to use in a given situation.

The article is insightful with respect to the role that emotional intelligence, particularly with regard to oneself, plays in decision-making. While managers often see themselves as highly rational, we all use our intuition more than perhaps we realize. The lesson to take from this is not that intuition should be suppressed, but that we should better understand the processes that affect that intuition. The more we know about ourselves, how we process information and how we come to decisions, the better our decision-making abilities will be.