The topic of self-awareness and leadership keeps popping up. Recently I attended a webinar delivered by the Institute of Coaching featuring Richard Boyatsis, distinguished university professor at Case Western Reserve. Soon thereafter, I was on a call with an HR executive who shared a conversation she had with a leader who exhibited a lack of critical self-awareness.

How to Develop Self-Awareness

In all of my coaching engagements, there is intention for clients to increase their self-awareness, an essential ingredient to strengthening oneself as a leader.  This work can include many different approaches such as:

• Assessments of how the client is seen by others (often termed a 360).
• Reflecting, reframing, and summarizing back to an individual what I heard. This can shine a light on any discrepancies. For example, this may inform the individual that how they view themselves as a communicator isn’t how others experience them as a communicator.

Delivering Feedback

It’s important to understand that depending on the type of assessment used, feedback on how one is perceived by others has to be timed. Boyatzis suggested that if information is shared too prematurely, the recipient likely will go into defense mode. When this happens, they are unable to hear or receive the feedback in a helpful or impactful way. If feedback isn’t received well, learning, growth and change are less likely to result. Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well, by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen is a helpful resource to consider for improving ones ability to receive feedback.

When coaching my clients, I help them to identify their strengths as well as understand the gaps they need to close to be more successful at achieving their desired goals. By leveraging their strengths, they are apt to stay more positively focused. Boyatzis shared that being able to get into, what he refers to, a positive emotional state, helps individuals to stay positive; stay with hope and joy. When in what Boyatzis terms a negative emotional state, reactions or emotions that arise can include defensiveness, anxiety, and fear. When one is experiencing fear or anxiety, they tend to get stuck.

How is your organization supporting your leaders to be their best selves? If you are looking to help your leaders be better equipped to engage their teams, innovate, and drive improved results, helping them to see their blind-spots and become more self-aware can make a significant impact. If you would like to learn more, let’s connect.

“A workplace that encourages self-awareness is an environment where the most productive, curious, and innovative people thrive.” – Neil Blumenthal