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Looking Inside, Understanding Yourself

How many times have you said to yourself, “I wish I had paid more attention to ______________”?

Undoubtedly, you could come up with many words to fill in the blank. For this chapter, we have chosen the word “myself” to complete the sentence because the focus will be on you, the supervisor.

Looking inside—paying attention to and appreciating what you know and don’t know as well as what is working well or not working well for you—is an important first step toward being able to guide and support others. The behaviors you demonstrate and the actions you take as a supervisor are indicators of how you respect yourself. This display of self-respect in turn contributes to the respect you show others.

The stories in this chapter are about some the most important aspects of getting to know and understand who you are and, more specifically, who you are as a supervisor. We consciously draw your attention to how your thinking, emotions, and responses to different circumstances affect you and those around you. We focus on such topics as visualizing yourself as a supervisor, understanding your strengths, being honest with yourself, and sharing stories as a way for others to learn about you. You will also get a glimpse into the many lessons that supervisors who have walked in your shoes have learned over their careers. We hope you will take away some insights and ideas to think about and perhaps try as you uncover what it means for you to be your best self as a supervisor.