Leaders Understanding Their Own Awareness

One who knows others is wise.
One who knows oneself is enlightened.
Lao-Tzu

Although it is probably one of the least discussed leadership competencies, self-awareness is one of the most valuable. Many of us operate on the belief that we must appear as though we know everything all the time or else people will question our abilities, diminishing the effectiveness of leaders.

Self-awareness is the cornerstone of leadership. When you are self-aware, you are mindful of the impacts that your emotions, your behavior, your communication patterns have on those around you. Strong leaders take time to reflect on their strengths and development needs.

Self-awareness is the first step to better leadership. If you do not know what you do not know, you cannot improve on your weaknesses. If you are unaware of your strengths, you will not reach your potential. A lack of knowledge about who you are and how you operate can lead you to overemphasize your strengths, to the point where they become a weakness. Once you know yourself- your strengths, weaknesses, behavior tendencies and motivators- you can begin to lead yourself to success.

Recognition of your own strengths and limitations means that you are more likely to empower others, giving them the opportunity to develop and support broad improvement goals. On the interpersonal level, self-awareness of your strengths and weaknesses can net you the trust of others and increase your credibility – both of which will increase your leadership effectiveness.

On an organizational level, the benefits are greater. When you acknowledge what you have yet to learn, you are modeling that in your organization then it is okay to admit you do not have all the answers, make mistakes and most importantly, to ask for help. These are all characteristics of an organization that is constantly learning and presents itself as a springboard to innovation and agility – two hallmarks of high performing organizations.

So How Self-Aware Are You?

According to research on management styles, you are more likely to be unaware of your behavior and how it impacts others if you normally tend to operate at the extremes.

Developing your leadership potential begins with self-reflection. Leadership development helps leaders understand their own style. Knowing your own strengths and limitations helps you understand your own emotions and the impact of your behavior on others in diverse situations.


Leadership guru, Warren Bennis states, “Know thyself means separating who you are and who you want to be from what the world thinks you are and wants you to be.”

For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you for the leadership skills you may be seeking, please contact us at 602-405-2540, or email nburgis@successful-solutions.com