The hardest part, it seems, about being a developer or an expert in the tech space is being self-aware.
The various DevOps, Front-end, Back-end, Security, and SRE communities I’ve been exposed to consciously or unconsciously reinforce the principle of “you’re doing it wrong”.
Even more, once you’ve been in the game for awhile and begin speaking at conferences, you fall into the same trap of telling others that they may be “doing it wrong”.
All of this one-way communication, either top down or bottom up, creates a void in a key element towards developing exceptional emotional intelligence.
That element is self-awareness.
What is self-awareness?
Self-awareness is your ability to recognize and understand your emotions as well as your power to control them. It is foundational to your personal growth and success.
It may sound touch-y feel-y, but a lack of self-awareness is catastrophic. It can not be solved through an algorithm or new language.
Emotion is one of those things that is uniquely human. Whether you admit it or not, handling your emotions are the most important factor to holding you back or accelerating you forward towards your goals.
How many times have you been around another person and been shocked when they criticize someone else for behavior that they themselves have exhibited?
A lack of self-awareness tells others (your team, your boss, your colleagues, potential investors, etc.) that you are unprepared for bigger things, that you have a blind spot that you are unable to fix, and that you are unwilling to invest in yourself.
Who would want to follow, promote, or invest in that person’s idea?
Your Assumptions as a Dev
The first step to becoming more self-aware, and ultimately becoming more emotionally intelligent, is taking inventory of your assumptions.
Continue reading on EQ for Devs...
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