The longer I’ve been in the business of identifying, recruiting and facilitating the hire of talent, the harder it has become to impress me.  I used to employ the phrase  “rock star” too often to describe candidates – apparently, I was easily impressed! I once was mesmerized by blind ambition and chutzpah, where now I find these qualities overbearing and I often think people who display them are in need of a good dose of circumspection.

This is perhaps a function of maturity or worldliness, but the individuals who impress me most these days are those who are self-aware.  Those who display an astute understanding of how their words,  actions, and natural proclivities affect others — and then use that information to “check themselves” when they know their less pleasant qualities might emerge — are the people I take note of today.  I am impressed by those who care deeply for the people they serve, and who lead with compassion, clarity and fortitude.

There are no more “rock stars” in my vocabulary.  There are however, more than a few “gentle giants,” “consensus builders,” and “servant leaders.”  I’ve learned so much from them.

Through the years, I’ve seen that self-awareness often develops as a result of life experiences – it can be jump-started by something jolting which begs for a great deal of reflection, such as losing a job or failing in a business venture, becoming a new parent or ending a marriage. You don’t have to be “shocked” to develop self-awareness, however. Sometimes all it requires is a committed effort to begin the process. Rather than reacting to a crisis or an unexpected catalyst and changing under pressure, you can leverage tools designed to help you in this journey.

Professionally administered personality assessments can proactively pinpoint specific areas where more self-awareness is needed, and provide a road map toward developing attributes to ensure your success. Redmond Consulting now offers assessments as a device for self-discovery and employee development, some of which are validated for use in hiring decisions by our client firms. Give us a call if you’d like to discuss these assessments in more detail.