Why Being a Great Leader Means Having Self-Awareness.

You may measure the effects of a great leader by how much profit they bring to a business, or you could measure it by how long they have held a senior executive position at a company. While these are milestones of how well a leader does their job, we believe that being called a great leader means more than just numbers. It’s also someone that others enjoy following and who they want to emulate. 

To truly be a great leader, you need to be self-aware. 

You may have heard the term self-awareness thrown around before and are not sure what it means or how to reach self-awareness.

You could be like one of the many hundreds of people who Google daily “what is self-awareness? And why is it even necessary?” 

If you strive to be a better leader or develop your relationship skills, then we are here to explain what self-awareness is and why you should start your journey today.

What is Self Awareness? 

Self-awareness is not a destination but a journey that takes time. 

By being on the self-awareness journey, leaders can recognize their strengths, weaknesses, and biases. When you are aware of these points and can reflect and change your behaviors and workplace techniques, you will be able to improve your capabilities and communication skills dramatically. 

Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations did a study (2010) that found self-awareness to be one of the highest predictors of overall success. 

“Leadership searches give short shrift to ‘self-awareness,’ which should actually be a top criterion. Interestingly, a high self-awareness score was the strongest predictor of overall success. This is not altogether surprising as executives who are aware of their weaknesses are often better able to hire subordinates who perform well in categories in which the leader lacks acumen. These leaders are also more able to entertain the idea that someone on their team may have an idea that is even better than their own.”   

The most effective leaders take ownership of their actions and the gaps in their work that need support. A leader who lacks self-awareness does not have an accurate read on these behaviors and may not understand that their communication isn’t effectively relayed in the way they think it is. 

While we believe you can become more self-aware than before, self-awareness is not a destination; it’s a journey. It’s not just taking a test and putting yourself into a box, but self-assessment and reflection that happens all the time. 

What are the steps you can take to become more Self-Aware?

1. Ask for feedback from a life coach.

A life coach is an excellent start to your self-awareness journey. We all have biases about ourselves and our situations, and a life coach is a great resource to guide you on the journey of self-awareness and give unbiased coaching support. As you move up to senior levels of a company, a life coach is a top resource for outside feedback, as you are more likely to have a harder time asking for feedback from your team.

Read more about how life coaching can support here

2. Take the Birkman Assessment:

Birkman is a great tool to discover more about yourself and how you respond in different situations. It can provide you with a well-rounded view of how you work and how your personality can affect you.

The journey of self-awareness is an invaluable investment in both your personal and professional development. Increasing your self-awareness will help you manage your responses and expectations of others, while also becoming a leader that others value and strive to mirror.

How do you plan on implementing this into your leadership strategy?