Mastering Self-Awareness: The Cornerstone of Effective Leadership

In many years of working as an executive coach, I've observed that self-awareness is not just important—it's mission-critical for personal growth and leadership development. This prompts a crucial question: is there a direct correlation between a leader's self-awareness and their effectiveness?

To shed light on this query, we've turned to a leading expert in the field, Dr Nia D Thomas FRSA . Dr. Thomas, who delved into this topic extensively in her PhD thesis, has also taken her research from academia to the office: as the host of the Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast, she has explored self-awareness and its implications for leadership through insightful interviews with fellow experts.

Initially, Dr. Thomas's research was prompted by a striking discrepancy: while existing literature suggested that leaders in senior positions tend to be more self-aware, her findings revealed quite the opposite. This "strategic level disconnect" highlighted a profound gap between perception and reality, challenging conventional wisdom.

One of the primary reasons for this disconnect is the filtering of feedback that occurs as leaders ascend the organisational hierarchy. As individuals climb the ladder, the feedback they receive becomes increasingly sanitised. Paradoxically, the degree of such filtering is a consequence of the culture that the leadership creates.

Does a Strategic Level Disconnect Impact Leader Effectiveness?

Dr. Thomas suggests that the answer lies in how organisations define success. If success is narrowly defined in terms of productivity and financial gains, leaders may prioritise results over interpersonal dynamics. However, as organisations evolve away from the industrial paradigm, there's a growing recognition of the importance of people-centric leadership.

"Modeling leadership is something that we talk about a lot, but what do you want to model? You want to model success and therefore, if self-awareness and having good relationships in your organisation really doesn't matter to you because your financial situation is fine, your KPIs are being achieved, then I don't really need to worry about the people too much. People can come and go, but actually we're still creating the products we want", says Dr. Thomas.

What is Self-Awareness, Actually?

Dr. Thomas identified three layers of self-awareness that build on one another:

Internal self-awareness: knowing yourself through reflection and introspection

Internal social self-awareness: recognising that people are observing you and understanding what opinions they have about you, how they perceive you

External social self-awareness: the ability to regulate your behaviour based on knowing yourself, and knowing how others see you

Alternatively, we can also refer to these three layers as reflection, recognition, and regulation.

The Extraversion Bias Dilemma

Yet, challenges persist, notably the extraversion bias, where outspoken individuals are often mistaken for effective leaders. Dr. Thomas's research and interviews highlight the prevalence of this bias: those who shout the loudest are presumed to be confident and capable, often ascending to leadership positions. However, as we transition away from the industrial paradigm of leadership, there's a growing need for leaders who prioritise listening and fostering inclusive conversations. Effective leaders of the future recognise that communication isn't limited to spoken dialogue; they empower individuals to express themselves through various channels, such as writing. This emphasis on recognising diverse communication preferences aligns with the broader framework of self-awareness, particularly the recognition layer.

Is There a Correlation Between a Leader's Self-Awareness and Their Effectiveness?

"My research and everybody that I've spoken to has given a resounding yes," says Dr. Thomas. "And there's always a but: yes, but…" Followers do regard self-awareness as an essential leadership component to generate success. However, they also realise that this is 'the gold standard', something we aspire to move towards. The current realities of the working world are often different. And it comes back to: how does your organization define success? If high voluntary staff turnover means that you are not succeeding, then self-awareness needs to be part of the leadership conversation. If your primary definition of success is about sending more parcels out into the world and you are able to do that and you have less interest in staff turnover, then perhaps you do not worry about leadership development.

However, there is consensus that self-awareness is necessary to be a great leader versus a leader.? It serves as the foundational cornerstone upon which effective leadership is built. Without a strong foundation in self-awareness, the rest of one's leadership abilities may feel shaky or insecure. Therefore, any leader aspiring to be the best leader they can be would be wise to prioritise the ongoing development of their self-awareness.

What Hinders Leaders from Developing Self-Awareness?

Developing self-awareness requires intentional exploration and dedication of time and effort. Ironically, recognising the importance of self-awareness necessitates a baseline level of self-awareness itself.

Filtered feedback, as previously mentioned, can significantly distort senior leaders' perception of themselves. Additionally, stress can impede one's self-awareness, with stress levels fluctuating day by day, affecting one's ability to manage and understand their own emotions.

Another obstacle is the culture of busyness prevalent in many organisations. The constant pressure to appear productive leaves little room for reflective practices, which are often undervalued by organisations.

Lastly, the Dunning-Kruger effect is a psychological phenomenon where individuals who overestimate their abilities are less likely to recognise the need for self-improvement, including in the realm of self-awareness. These individuals, despite their shortcomings, may resist efforts to enhance their self-awareness due to a misguided belief in their own competence.

Self-Awareness Development: A Dynamic Journey

While it may be straightforward to enhance self-awareness during a leadership retreat, the real challenge arises upon returning to the workplace. The stress of daily tasks often leads us back to autopilot mode. Yet, it is precisely in these moments that we must identify what triggers us and inhibits our growth.

As one of Dr. Thomas' podcast guests wisely remarked, "know thyself, but ensure you keep reacquainting yourself." Developing self-awareness is not a linear progression; it ebbs and flows, influenced by various situations and individuals that may present setbacks along the way.

Practical Strategies for Enhancing Self-Awareness as a Leader

One of the best ways to develop self-awareness is through reflection, a practice that aligns well with our method of posing reflective questions. Dr. Thomas emphasises the importance of leaders pausing to ponder: Can I articulate how I believe others perceive me? This inquiry prompts introspection: Have I genuinely considered self-awareness before? Have I afforded myself the mental space to contemplate this concept? Without an understanding of how others view us, how can we effectively refine our self-awareness? This introspective process unveils areas of improvement and sheds light on our blind spots, thus laying a solid foundation for self-awareness development.

For a deeper dive into the nuances of self-awareness in leadership, tune in to the full episode of "Self-Awareness for Leadership Success" of Second Crack ? The Leadership Podcast. It’s available on all major podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on our website (with transcript).

Second Crack — The Leadership Podcast is hosted by Martin Alderg?rd and Gerrit Pelzer. We explore everyday leadership dilemmas and paradoxes, and we ask thought-provoking questions to help leaders grow. Feel free to contact us for a complimentary consultation to explore how we can help you accelerate your leadership development.

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