Creating Space For Self-Awareness

Leading With VOICCE® Series.

"How did you decide to pursue this particular path of leadership?"

I've heard this question in more executive leadership panels than I can count. And although the speakers and responses have varied from one panel to the next, there's one thing I've heard time and time again: "I may not have always known it, but there was an inner knowing in me that helped guide each step."

Let's break this down further. Planning your career path does not typically come with a flight plan. In my experience, only a small handful of leaders and executives know exactly what role they are aiming for from day 1. Instead, what often happens is - this opportunity leads to the next, and this set of experiences puts me on a path toward a new set of opportunities. What's the common denominator? It wasn't the plan. It was the opportunity to know themselves better along the way. It's the opportunity to elevate one's own Self-Awareness.

But here's the part I found particularly interesting. 

Organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich spent nearly five years researching self-awareness across almost 5,000 people across 10 studies, and found that while 95% of us believe we're self-aware, only 10 to 15% actually are.

And what's more - her research suggests that as leaders climb the ladder, they actually become less self-aware, not more. The higher the leadership position, the less candid feedback the leader tends to receive. In her work, she distinguishes between two kinds of self-awareness. Self-awareness is comprised of Internal - knowing your own values and reactions - as well as external - accurately knowing how others experience you. As leaders climb, it's not necessarily that they don't know themselves, but rather, they have less access to the truth of how they are being perceived by others. 

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Leaders must move from introspection alone to the deliberate seeking of honest feedback. This allows them to test their self-perception against how others actually experience them. Some leaders are willing to do this, but it takes a different type of effort. Yet, it's worth it. 

The impact once leaders have a balanced and clear picture both internally and externally has the potential to be game-changing. According to Eurich's research, elevated self-awareness leads to sounder decisions, stronger relationships, and more effective communication. She has also linked these benefits to more satisfied employees and more profitable companies. When leaders are more self-aware, they can make adjustments in real time that lead to better outcomes. 

Leaders who understand the energy they bring into a space, or how to navigate a space when things get tense, can change the experience for everyone around them. Leaders who have a distorted perception can't make that shift, no matter their other skills and competencies. 

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The good news in all of this is that, no matter where leaders sit within the self-awareness gap, all leaders have the opportunity to build it. And building this skill isn't a nice-to-have. It's critical. Organizations are under more pressure than ever, and as the environment continues to change, the pace continues to accelerate. Leaders who have a clear and accurate awareness of their impact will not only make better decisions, but create stronger, more resilient teams. They build teams that trust them enough to say the hard thing, stay through the hard season, and do their best work because their leader can see clearly enough to navigate through it with them.

It's not always about knowing what's next, but rather accurately knowing yourself along the way. 

If you are, or someone on your team is, a leader on a journey to deepen self-awareness, I'd love to hear from you. 

Message me directly, or share your thoughts in the comments below. 

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Tian Philson - Leadership Transformation & Decision-Making Coach | Creator of the VOICCE® Decision Making & Empowerment Framework | Helping leaders go inward so they can go upward.