1. Good Leader Leadership Skills Good Leader Vision Self-Esteem Time
Management
Creativity
Communication

2. Sookmyung Women’s University
SELF-ESTEEM
Dr. Young Kyu Moh
Professor
Sookmyung Women’s University

3. Understanding Self-Esteem
How to Improve Self-Esteem:
Discovering Strengths
The Story of ‘The Goose Girl’

4. 01 Understanding Self-Esteem
1.1. What is Self-Esteem?
• Definitions: A judgement of oneself as well as an attitude toward the self
Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself as well as emotional states,
such as triumph, despair, pride and shame.
One’s sense of ‘self-worth’
• Why is self-esteem important? :
- It shows how we view the way we are and the sense of our personal value.
- It affects the way we are, and the way that we act in the world, and the way we are related to everybody else
- Life satisfaction, happiness, healthy behavioral practices, and academic success and adjustment are
known to be associated with having high levels of self-esteem.

5. 01 Understanding Self-Esteem
1.2. Self-esteem and leadership
• Great leaders have a healthy level of self-esteem
• People with a healthy level of self-esteem
- Firmly believe in certain values and principles, and are ready to defend them
even when finding opposition, feeling secure enough to modify them in light of experience
- Do not waste time worrying excessively about either the past or the future
- Fully trust in their capacity to solve problems. They ask others for help when they need it.
- Consider themselves equal in dignity to others, rather than inferior or superior.
- Resist manipulation
- Are sensitive to feelings and needs of others

6. 01 Understanding Self-Esteem
1.3. How to develop Self-esteem
• Do not focus on one’s weaknesses, scars or sad experiences
but pay attention to the positive aspects of the life of human beings such as happiness, love or strengths
• It doesn’t mean that one should ignore ‘negative’ aspects and experiences
• Be aware of the characteristics of low self-esteem and develop the healthy attitudes toward oneself
• Avoid Heavy self-criticism, Hypersensitivity to criticism, Chronic indecision, Excessive will to please,
Perfectionism, Neurotic guilt, Floating hostility, Pessimism, Envy, Heavy dependence on the approval and praise of others

7. 01 Understanding Self-Esteem
• False attempts to improve self-esteem
• Resilience
• Persona
• Narcissism
• Controversy – self-esteem as an over-generalized thinking

8. 02 How to Improve Self-Esteem: Discovering One’s Own Strengths
2.1. The meanings of strength
• definition: the positive characteristics reflected in one’s thoughts, emotions and behaviors
One’s happiness is related to finding one’s own strengths and using them in one’s daily life
(Seligman, 2004)
• Importance: Finding strengths are more useful and effective to improve self-esteem,
rather than focusing on weaknesses and trying to make up for them
2.2. Six virtues found in the human history:
Wisdom and knowledge, Courage, Love and humanity, Justice, Temperance, Spirituality and transcendence /
24 strengths based on the six virtues (Peterson & Seligman, 2004)

9. Self-Esteem Curiosity/Interest in the World Valor/Bravery Self-Control
Gratitude
Love of Learning
Perseverance/
Diligence
Prudence/
Discretion
Hope/
Optimism
Critical Thinking/Open-Mindedness
Integrity/
Honesty
Humility/
Modesty
Spirituality/
Sense of Purpose
Originality/
Practical Intelligence
Citizenship/Duty
Teamwork/
Loyalty
Kindness/
Generosity
Forgiveness/
Mercy
Social Intelligence/
Emotional Intelligence
Fairness/Equity
Loving/Allowing Oneself To Be Loved
Playfulness/
Humor
Perspective
Leadership
Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence
Passion/
Enthusiasm
Wisdom/
Knowledge
Courage
Justice
Temperance
Humanity
Transcendence

10. 02 How to Improve Self-Esteem: Discovering One’s Own Strengths
2.3. Practices to discover one’s strengths
• Understanding one’s own strengths
• Remembering the strengths
• Practicing the strengths in daily life
• Strengths are What excite me! (Marcus Bukingham)(2009)

11. 03 The Story of ‘The Goose Girl’
Self-Esteem
03 The Story of ‘The Goose Girl’
• The old queen provides her daughter with “a great many precious items and ornaments and goblets and jewels, all made with silver and gold. She also gave the princess a chambermaid, the princess’s horse named Falada, and her handkerchief with three drops of her own blood.
• What happen to these gifts?
• What happen to the princess and the chambermaid?
• How does the princess save Falada and how does Falada help the princess?
• Why does the princess decide not to tell the king the truth?
• Why cannot the chambermaid recognize the princess?
• Why is the chambermaid blind to her own wrongdoings?

12. 03 The Story of ‘The Goose Girl’
Self-Esteem
03 The Story of ‘The Goose Girl’
Activities to reflect and to improve self-esteem
Activity 1: Writing ‘gratitude notes’
Let’s write three things for which you are grateful and share them with each other.
I am grateful for _________________________________________________________________
because _____________________________________________________________________________
Activity 2: Based on the 24 strengths, choose three strengths that you think represent yourself and demonstrate the strengths.
Activity 3: Based on the story of ‘the goose girl’, reflect on your own situation, in relation to the following questions: “What are the false attempts that you do to secure (or improve) your self-esteem?” “Do you have your own Falada, which reminds you of who you are?”, “If you do, what is it?”

13. Self-Esteem Reference
Christopher Peterson, C. & Martin E.P. Seligman (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. New York: Oxford University Press.
Ju-whan Kim (2011). Resilience. Seoul: Wisdomhouse Publishing
Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architectures of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology. 9(2)
Marcus Buckingham (2009). The truth about you: your secret to success. New York: Thomas Nelson. Inc.
Martin E. P. Seligman (2004). Authentic happiness: using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York; Atria Paperback.