Great Leadership Begins with Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is often hailed as the most critical trait for leadership success. According to the authors of "How to Become a Better Leader," featured in the MIT Sloan Management Review, great leaders possess a deep understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. They use this insight to amplify their natural talents and work around their limitations, ensuring personal growth and better leadership outcomes.

The impact of self-awareness doesn’t stop at individual performance—it can influence the entire organization's success. A study by Korn/Ferry International revealed that companies with highly self-aware employees tend to outperform their less self-aware counterparts. In a review of 486 publicly traded companies, those with stronger financial results had teams that demonstrated higher levels of self-awareness.

However, there’s a significant gap when it comes to self-awareness among leaders. Research shows that women in executive roles typically exhibit higher self-awareness than their male peers, but the numbers across the board highlight room for improvement. In a global study of 17,000 executives, only 19% of women demonstrated self-awareness compared to just 4% of men.

So, how can leaders become more self-aware? Here are some actionable strategies to enhance this critical skill.

1. Know Yourself: The Core of Leadership

In every leadership challenge, there’s one constant: you. Understanding who you are is the foundation for everything else.

Dr. Travis Bradberry, author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, calls self-awareness one of the core pillars of emotional intelligence. It’s your ability to recognize and understand your own emotions and how they affect others. With self-awareness, you’re better equipped to make informed choices and grow. It’s an empowering tool that allows you to refine your leadership style and achieve greater success.

2. Identify External Triggers

What influences your behavior, and how do others respond? Knowing the external factors—both positive and negative—that shape your actions is key. Reflect on how culture, environment, and interpersonal dynamics impact your reactions. This awareness helps you navigate challenges with more clarity and purpose.

3. Gather Trusted Feedback

Feedback is a powerful tool for growth. Seeking input from trusted sources helps you uncover blind spots—areas where your perception of yourself doesn’t align with how others see you. Leaders who actively seek feedback gain a better understanding of their impact on others and can adapt their behavior for better outcomes.

4. Use Personality Traits Strategically

Successful leaders know when to lean into their strengths and when to dial them back. According to the MIT study, self-aware CEOs don’t completely change who they are; instead, they learn to adjust their behavior in certain situations. Knowing when to showcase traits like extroversion or openness, and when to step back, is a skill that can shape how you’re perceived without losing your authenticity.

5. Align Your Actions with Your Values

Do your behaviors align with what matters most to you? Reflect on the patterns you notice in your leadership approach and ask if they serve your values and long-term goals. Self-awareness involves recognizing both what makes you effective and what holds you back, allowing you to consciously build on the positive and minimize the negative.

6. Stay Curious About Yourself

Leadership isn’t static, and neither is self-awareness. Our personalities are shaped by culture, experience, and environment, but they’re also evolving. Stay curious and open to understanding new aspects of yourself as you encounter new situations. This curiosity will keep you on a path of continuous growth.

By embracing self-awareness, leaders can make smarter decisions, foster better relationships, and drive organizational success. It’s not just about knowing yourself—it’s about using that knowledge to become a more skilled, adaptive, and impactful leader. Keep growing, stay curious, and always strive to be the best version of yourself.