Knowing Your Strengths and Weakness + MBTI Excitement!

On Wednesday we did a great exercise where we looked inward and identified what will make us great peer mentors but also some things that we want to improve on. I really like doing these types of activities, especially in the context of a class. For most of our school courses we walk in knowing what we want to learn (or what we're required to learn!) but for a leadership course there is such a broad focus: To be better leaders for the Hixson Program. I love this course because its not like Calculus or English; This course is not to just learn skills but to grow as a person. There's nothing better then being able to identify what you think you need to improve on to be successful and finding a goal for yourself and having a place to really sink your teeth in to do it.
Next week we're doing MBTI and I'm really excited! I love listening to Debra talk about personality types because every time I learn more about myself and what I can do to be more successful. I wish I had paid more attention to it when I was a freshman because I changed a lot of how I do things last year and its helped me a lot because I took the time to really reflect on it which I unfortunately did not do three years ago.
I think the best thing any leader can do is know where their strengths lay but also their weaknesses. I know a lot of people that are great leaders but have taken on a challenge that end up horribly because they weren't aware of their weaknesses in the context. I'm a person that needs deadlines to get things done (thus why I'm posting this right on the deadline!) and I struggle on projects even when I love what I'm doing when told "Just have it done soon". I try to avoid things like that and if I can't I try to get a deadline out of whomever I'm reporting to. I have to do this at work a lot and I'm pretty sure my boss thinks I'm crazy every time I keep asking when she wants things finalized. It's worth it though!

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest"
-Confucius