Self-knowledge: An Overlooked Skill for the Future
Knowing the future is not possible, but knowing yourself might be.
Greek philosophers have long urged individuals to “know yourself,” so this concept is hardly new. However, it can be argued that self-knowledge is an often-overlooked skill that is vital for the future and can be honed, developed, strengthened, and ultimately utilized.
This skill is beneficial not only for you as an individual in your personal life but also for the organizations you lead, work for, or collaborate with in your professional life. As a uniquely human endeavor that cannot be replicated by technological advances, self-insight serves as a form of natural intelligence and learning that can distinguish both you and the organization you represent. The ‘how’ is deceptively simple. Knowing yourself streamlines the process of decision-making and enhances the outcomes while fostering resilience and adaptability in the face of uncertainty.
For organizations, knowing themselves is just as crucial—and beneficial. A deep understanding of an organization's role in the world, and what it aims to become, can enable more strategic and clear decision-making as some options will immediately be swept off the table because they don't fit into the organization’s framing of its identity. Organizational self-knowledge further helps the organization to respond to conditions of uncertainty as it is able to relate possible future decisions and actions back to ‘who it is’ and use its self-knowledge as a steadfast beacon that gives direction on how it might behave and adapt. These informed, speedier decisions are also more likely to boost an organization’s resilience as it won’t be wasting time trying to figure out the decision and where the organization stands in relation to it. Below we will explore how self-knowledge for individuals and organizations applies to possible real-life situations.
Self-knowledge as a strategy for navigating an uncertain future
Consider the following scenarios…
You’re standing in front of the Lindt chocolate in the supermarket. The one you are looking at used to cost $2, and now it’s a whopping four times the price. At that moment, it’s as if you are seeing the chocolate for the first time. You question its value: do you really want it this badly? What else could $8 enable you to do? For instance, $8 also equals a coffee catch-up with your friend. But you’re also really craving the chocolate, although the price seems exorbitant. You don’t know what to do.
You have become aware that your company’s AI recruitment software automatically rejects applications from certain people based only on their nationality. You raise this with your team leaders, but they laugh in your face. They tell you that it’s nothing to lose sleep over as it’s not impacting the bottom line. At this moment, do you let it go, or do you decide to double down on whistleblowing?
Sea level rise has hit your neighborhood. You’ve been given 20 minutes to evacuate. Faced with this urgent situation, how do you deal with the imminent threat—fight, flight, or freeze? What do you do first? How much of the 20 minutes do you spend freaking out versus taking action? Do you remember to grab your dog? Or are you hyperventilating too much to think straight?
If you find yourself uncertain about how you would respond to the hypothetical scenarios that have been mentioned,, reflecting on the following questions can guide you toward greater self-awareness:
What values drive you? For example, if you value honesty, you likely prioritize transparency in your relationships. If you value growth and learning, you might prioritize seeking out roles or projects in your career that offer opportunities for professional development. An organization that values customer centricity would co-create products with its audience, based on their lived experiences and concerns, whereas an organization that prioritizes profit above all else would develop products based solely on internal forecasts and financial projections, often neglecting customer feedback and needs.
What is your stress response? Do you shut down or thrive under pressure? For example, if you're planning a big family gathering and become overwhelmed with coordinating schedules, decor, and catering, you might shut down and distract yourself with Netflix or social media. Similarly, in stressful work situations, you may procrastinate by avoiding the challenging task ahead. In the context of organizations, some prefer being proactive by tracking trends and conducting frequent risk assessments to identify potential challenges before they arise. In contrast, other organizations may adopt a reactive approach, responding to stressors only after they occur.
What are your personal and ethical boundaries? For instance, you might be willing to allow a white lie to protect a friend’s feelings, but unwilling to compromise your integrity by understating your income to the tax authorities. One organization might be fine with paying bribes to do business in new territories, while another would not.
What are you willing to stand up for? Maybe you advocate for environmental sustainability and are willing to speak up when you see practices that harm the planet but you care less about the rehabilitation of criminals. In professional contexts, you simply will not tolerate gender-based discrimination. Organizationally we can think of an organization that prioritizes life over work and that values employee wellbeing—this type of organization would sternly address clients that expect immediate answers to emails on the weekend. A different organization might put the client first, always, demanding that employees check their emails weekends and on vacation.
How do you make decisions? Do you choose items from the menu based on what you're craving at that moment? Or do you weigh up the nutritional factors, the price, and where your health is at that point in time? After an interview for a new job, do you decide based on your instincts whether you would like to work there, go read 20 Glassdoor reviews, or a bit of both? Some organizations might rely greatly on what the data and analytics say, while others would balance out the data with participatory, bottom-up inputs before a decision is made.
How do you manage or cope with uncertainty? If you’re unsure whether your landlord will renew your lease, do you have contingency plans mapped out for potential outcomes? If your company has faced a couple of difficult months, do you start making plans A, B, C, or are you fine to go with the flow and cross any bridges when you get there? An organization might be very cautious and always focus on having 12 months’ worth of savings for operational costs. Another organization might be comfortable with only having 3 months’ worth of savings as a cash reserve.
What are your strengths and weaknesses? You might be a good listener, but a big overthinker. At work you may excel at problem-solving but struggle with time management. Some organizations are very good at customer service, but lack the ability to bring truly innovative products to market. A different organization might have very high employee turnover, but be very good at finding and rallying investors.
Going back to our scenarios—by reflecting on these types of questions and learning more about who you or the organization are and how you tend to behave, self-awareness could have helped you in the following ways:
If you knew that you value friendship and quality time more than food, you quickly could have done a cost-benefit analysis, decided against the chocolate, and moved on with your life
If the organization had a clear commitment to being profit-seeking without compromising ethical responsibilities, you would have evidence that the team leaders are mistaken and misaligned with company values. This clarity would provide a framework of accountability, allowing you to escalate the issue to the higher-ups, who could reprimand or suspend the team leaders.
Knowing how you deal with crises, you would have taken a deep breath and logically assessed what you need most and what you cannot replace. You would have grabbed two backpacks and filled them with your passport, your laptop, your grandmother’s wedding ring, and the walking stick the Maasai chief gave you—and, of course, your dog!
It’s true that we don’t know what lies ahead. So, how might self-knowledge help us as individuals or organizations in an uncertain future. Whether related to climate change, conflict, or corruption, knowing yourself equips you to adapt and respond to unexpected events. This self-awareness helps you to understand what is important to you, what motivates you, and what your blind spots are. With this understanding, you can approach decisions more effectively, gaining insight into the operating system that is you as you navigate various challenges and opportunities. So, instead of constantly emphasizing technical skills and niche specialties alone, let’s also consider paying attention—individually and organizationally—to the age-old question: “Who am I?”