Why self-awareness is an essential trait for every leader
Why self-awareness is an essential trait for every leader
5 minutes
Self-awareness is often cited as the most important capability for a leader to develop. Self-awareness is about knowing your emotions, strengths, weaknesses and values, and their impact on others.
While studies show that people with a high level of self-awareness typically become better leaders, research states that while most leaders will say they are self-aware, self-awareness is, in fact, a very rare quality.
Understanding your emotional triggers (what really makes you tick, what energises you and what drains you), along with how you manage yourself in certain situations, are all glimpses into your level of self-awareness. You might also want to ask yourself how (and perhaps more importantly why) you react the way you do in these situations. Are you comfortable setting boundaries and perhaps even saying no if it means preventing a scenario that might trigger a negative reaction?
Are you an ‘Introspector’, a “Seeker’, a ‘Pleaser’, or are you truly self-aware?
Gaining perspective on how you lead, will help you see a more complete picture.
Empathy, curiosity, and humility are three more distinct traits of self-awareness.
Empathy is the ability sense emotions and share the feelings of another.
Curiosity is a fundamental leadership trait and can be directly attributed to higher levels of engagement and collaboration. Curious leaders are on a journey of continuous self-improvement which, by default, makes them more authentic. In a sense, curiosity could be linked to humility.
Humility is about being comfortable with the fact that you don’t know everything that there is to know; about yourself, about those around you, and about the environment in which you are operating.
Owning up to this could certainly trigger elements of vulnerability, but this in itself is a huge part of self-awareness. And just like curiosity, humility also has direct links to self-improvement and a growth mindset.
One of the easiest ways to demonstrate a quest for self-improvement is by asking for feedback. How comfortable are you asking for feedback? Not just from those who might sit above you in the organisational structure. But from those reporting to you. If soliciting feedback comes naturally for you, this is usually a sign of a fairly high level of self-awareness. However, for many (leaders in particular), it is not always easy.
Being comfortable asking for feedback from your team members or giving your team permission to provide you with regular feedback can help infiltrate the blind area of the Johari Window. By being vulnerable and genuinely asking, “what could I be doing differently?”, one of your team members might suggest that you be less autocratic, or that you let the group decide on an approach rather than just telling them what to do.
The experts1 suggest that one of the key indicators of low self-awareness is being unaware of your personal blind spots (another reference to the Johari Window), which can limit the way you act, react, or behave in certain situations, and in turn, limit your effectiveness as a leader.
These experts2 also refer to two broad types of self-awareness:
Are you an ‘Introspector’, a “Seeker’, a ‘Pleaser’, or are you truly self-aware?
Gaining perspective on how you lead, will help you see a more complete picture.
