Q: What skill is most critical to your own and/or your company's success?

I came across this question on a discussion for a LinkedIn group. I wanted to share my response with readers of this blog.

A: Know thyself.

Photo by Esparta

Why?

• If you aren't aware of your own limitations, you can't tap into expertise that others could provide more easily and efficiently and joyfully.

• If you aren't aware of your gifts, where you naturally excel and get juiced, you won't be able to target your career in the right direction. You won't be able to put yourself in the right role in your company. You'll always be playing a role that doesn't quite fit.

• If you aren't aware of your own personal reactions to impersonal situations (e.g., the economy is not out to get you), you won't be able to see opportunities and work with the reality of tough situations. It will be easy to get stuck in a victim mode–reactive–instead of being proactive.

Everything else follows from awareness. With awareness comes choice.

What's a question that you've been pondering? Share it here and it may be fodder for a great blog post….