Would you like to feel more confident and happier at work? Do you want to build stronger relationships with your team, and develop the resilience needed to thrive in a constantly changing environment?

We cannot control external pressures, but we can adapt how we respond. And it all starts with honing self-awareness.

What is self-awareness?

Self-awareness is the ability to consciously recognise and understand our behaviours, emotions and thoughts and how they impact others.

Research has shown that only 10%-15% of people are self-aware, even though many of us believe we are.

Our lack of self-awareness might stem from confusion about what the term means. Self-awareness is often mistaken as an ability to self-analyse or self-reflect, but analysing yourself doesn't always lead to a clear understanding of who you are or what drives you to act in a certain way.

Self-analysis can focus on rational thoughts that ignore deeper motivations, emotions, biases, underlying desires and ingrained behavioural patterns. We tend to view things from a personal lens without considering the full complexity of our inner world.

A detailed study identified multiple definitions of self-awareness across articles online, with seven 'dominant themes' repeatedly showing up.

These themes include:

-            Beliefs and values

-            Internal mental state (feelings and emotions)

-            Physical sensations (reactions in the body)

-            Personality traits

-            Motivations

-            Behaviours

-            Awareness of how others perceive you

Honing knowledge in these seven areas is vital to embodying a self-aware leader. Internal self-awareness involves the first six traits, while external is our understanding of how others perceive us in relation to these factors. We need both internal and external self-awareness to reap the benefits.

Why self-awareness is important for leaders

Self-awareness is highly advantageous to leaders in all types of organisations. The term is a managerial buzzword, but for good reason.

With a high level of self-awareness, you can make better decisions, develop deeper and stronger relationships, gain more confidence and trust in your ability to lead and feel happier and more fulfilled. In the same way we utilise software equipment better once we fully understand it, we maximise the product of our potential when we really get to know who we are.

Imagine managing a high-pressure merger. An agreement disrupts within your team, leading to a loss of focus and confusion over direction. With low self-awareness, you might impulsively react and agree with a team member based on your own preferences or ignore the conflict and hope it resolves itself.

With self-awareness, you can understand the impact of the conflict and pause to assess your emotions. You may notice frustration but recognise that your feelings shouldn't dictate your actions. Instead, you view the conflict as an opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the merger's complexities and leverage your team's diverse perspectives.

You could facilitate an open dialogue where you listen deeply to each point before summarising and guiding your team towards a solution that aligns with the merger's goals and values.

Self-aware leaders have the skills to take this approach. Their mindfulness means they can identify and address biases and stress triggers effectively and separate out emotions that belong elsewhere. By challenging themselves and taking intentional action, they experience greater fulfilment, freeing themselves from barriers and patterns holding them back.

Our external world is constantly changing, bringing daily challenges of ambiguity and uncertainty. From the rapid advancement of AI technology to global instability and societal pressures, the demands on leaders are increasing at an unprecedented rate. To navigate the uncertainty, we need a solid internal core system. That's why self-awareness is fundamental for future leaders to thrive.

How can leaders develop their self-awareness?

In a position of power, we can falsely believe our experience equips us with the skills and awareness we need. What power actually does is remove people from receiving feedback. The higher we climb the corporate ladder; the fewer people manage us and the less we get valid feedback.

Without outside observation, we're unable to know how we're perceived. So, what steps can we take?

Encourage a feedback culture

Suggestion boxes, open-door policies and open questions can promote a speak-up culture where employees feel psychologically safe to voice concerns without retribution. Rather than 'Does anyone have feedback?', try, 'What's one thing I can do differently next time to improve my communication?'

Swap 'why' questions for 'what'

Research shows that 'why' is ineffective at helping us understand ourselves because we simply do not have access to all our conscious awareness. We typically create answers that feel plausible. For example, we may jump to the conclusion that a new manager struggling to delegate is lacking management skills when the truth could be that the culture discourages collaboration.

'What' questions, however, force us to remain objective. 'What could be causing poor delegation?' opens us up to more truths than, 'Why are we struggling with poor delegation?'.

Find moments of silence

Between the radio, television, our mobile phones, emails and meetings, there is little time for most of us to pause and reflect. The constant noise drowns out our thoughts and stops us from hearing our inner voice. We can learn so much about ourselves if we stopped to hear and listen.

Consider setting up a time each day when you are fully removed from noise and distractions. Note that this may feel uncomfortable at first but allow yourself to sit with the discomfort. Reflect on the thoughts showing up and what they could suggest.

Work with a coach

By ourselves, we are left to our own devices. As explained earlier, we can make assumptions and jump to incorrect conclusions. While well-meaning, family and friends lack the coaching tools and techniques to guide us effectively. Meanwhile, sharing with colleagues may feel risky, as concerns about judgment or the possibility of our thoughts being reported can cause us to hold back.

A coach is an impartial ally who holds you accountable and helps to guide you to achieving self-awareness — among a host of other leadership skills. Thom Dennis has multiple qualifications including an MSc in Change Agent Skills and Strategies. He is a certified facilitator and NLP Master Practitioner who has spent thirty years coaching global leaders.

By booking a call with Thom, you will receive:

• A complimentary assessment exploring your current situation and concerns.

• Detailed recommendations, including whether group or solo coaching would be most effective.

• A customisable plan to support you.

We strongly believe coaching only works when both coach and coachee are completely committed. Therefore, we will not attempt to 'sell' our offerings. Book a friendly call today and see how you can transform your leadership in 2025.