Why Great Leadership Needs Self Awareness
According to the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report, Emotional Intelligence is a top 10 skill. The subject of Emotional Intelligence comes up frequently in my conversations with clients as a skill they are looking to develop in their executives and leaders. Self-awareness is a crucial component of effective leadership because it allows leaders to understand their own emotions, thoughts, and behaviors and how they may impact others.
This is incredibly important for leaders because if they are not aware of their own feelings, they will be less effective at building trust and psychological safety with direct reports, in addition lacking empathy for others feelings.
Here are a few reasons why great leadership needs self-awareness:
Self-awareness helps leaders make better decisions: Self-aware leaders are able to step back and assess a situation objectively, rather than being swayed by their own biases or emotions. This allows them to make more logical and sound decisions.
Self-awareness helps leaders communicate more effectively: Leaders who are self-aware are able to understand how their words and actions may be perceived by others. This allows them to communicate more effectively and build trust with their team.
Self-awareness helps leaders foster a positive work environment: Leaders who are self-aware are able to recognize and manage their own emotions, which helps them to create a positive and productive work environment. When leaders model emotional intelligence and self-regulation, they set a tone that allows others to do the same.
Self-awareness helps leaders adapt to change: Leaders who are self-aware are able to recognize and assess their own strengths and weaknesses, which allows them to adapt and lead their team through change.
“As self awareness increases, people's satisfaction with life - defined as their ability to reach their goals at work and at home - skyrocket.” - Bradberry & Graves, Emotional Intelligence 2.0
As a certified executive coach and authorized practitioner of emotional intelligence tools and assessments, I often get questions about how emotional intelligence can be developed. Both coaching and using assessments including EQ-i 2.0®, EQ-i 360®, and the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) help build unbiased awareness about where the leader may want to begin this development. This short video about self-awareness was taken when I taught Emotional Intelligence for Harvard University through Harvard Ed Portal.
How has self-awareness supported you as an effective leader? Comment below to share.
Supporting research (a few foundational things):
"Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ" by Daniel Goleman (1995)
“Emotional Intelligence 2.0 “ by Travis Bradberry and Jean Graves (2009)
"The Paradox of Self-Awareness" by Daniel M. Wegner and Thalia Wheatley (1999)
"The Importance of Self-Awareness in Leadership" by Andrew J. DuBrin (2013)
Disclaimer: This very helpful post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means that should you click any of the links and make a purchase, I may get a small commission at absolutely no cost to you.
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About the Author:
Sarah Scala is a senior talent management leader and executive coach with 20+ years of experience providing organization development, change management, and leadership development solutions for diverse global and local industries. She is a collaborative consultant, coach, and educator supporting performance transformation of executives, leaders, and teams. Sarah is a methodical, results-driven leader recognized for helping clients reach their highest potential, increase revenue, reduce turnover, elevate business profitability, build competencies, and improve performance.
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