Can Self-Awareness and Strengths Improve Leadership?

There’s that saying: You don’t know your own strength.

I think of it whenever I facilitate the Strengths Spotlight program. It’s always super-fun, partially because of all the lightbulb moments during the team workshop as people discover each other’s unique strengths.

It all starts with a 1-hour private and confidential coaching session I do with each participant. Together, we debrief their personalized results from the Clifton StrengthsFinder, a quick and empirically validated tool.

Those one-on-one conversations are fascinating and frequently end with people saying something like:

1. Huh. I thought everybody was pretty much like me. Guess not.
2. It’s different focusing on what I do well. Old bosses fixated on what I needed to improve.

It’s like a veil lifts and people see their amazing inner resources that they can count on no matter what and how they get in their own way.

In other words? Their self-awareness grows.

So Many Benefits

And that matters. Because mountains of research say self-awareness is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

For starters, there’s the slew of studies Tasha Eurich, a workplace psychologist, cites in her groundbreaking book, Insight.

These scientific investigations indicate that when we see ourselves more clearly, we’re:

• Stronger contributors who earn more promotions
• Increasingly confident, creative and empathetic (which makes it easier to be compassionate leaders)
• Able to inspire greater trust and organizational commitment from subordinates while making sounder decisions
• Better communicators and listeners
• More able to recognise and respond well when we feel down, lonely, or experience one of those awkward spinach-in-the-teeth moments (aka blindspot sightings).

Bottom line: Self-awareness makes us better people.

And, as Jerry Colonna (the CEO whisperer) says: Better people make better leaders.

Self-Awareness Unicorns?

Eurich defines self-awareness as

The ability to see ourselves clearly —
to understand who we are, how others see us, and how we fit into the world around us.

Sounds about right, doesn’t it? Fits with self-awareness being the foundation of Emotional Intelligence, an essential factor of effective leadership. And one we focus on in the inspiring Search Inside Yourself program.

So maybe you’re thinking, “oh yes, Mary Ellen, I already know this because I am indeed pretty self-aware.”

Well. Um. Ok. And ya may want to consider this fun fact from Eurich’s research. . .

10% of us really are self-aware.
The rest of us just think we are.

Such a minority that her colleagues coined the term “self-awareness unicorns.” Hmmm.

So maybe we could all use a little more self-awareness.

Especially since self-aware leaders are more effective, with more-satisfied employees, and more profitable companies. Meanwhile, not-so-self-aware senior executives are 600% more likely to derail (??!).

Yikes! So now what?

Fortunately, Eurich suggests a few research-backed tips to help you grow one of those unicorn horns.

Tip #1: Ask for feedback.

And if what you hear stings a little, give yourself some compassion and a little grace, acknowledge that yes, you are indeed a fallible human being.

And recognise you’re likely in the midst of Adam Grant’s Seven stages of Feedback Grief.

Tip #2: Be curious and courageous.

Decide you want to know the truth about yourself.

Tip #3: Try reflecting.

Self-reflection is great, though heads up that Eurich says we’re probably doing it wrong.

The most effective way?

Flip your WHY into WHAT.

Bonus tip: Boost your positivity.

Research on the ground-breaking Broaden and Build theory shows positive emotions broaden our perspective and open new possibilities.

Join the research-based positivity adventure for monthly positivity-boosting tips that are short, sweet, grounded in science, and immediately useful.

Let Your Strengths Shine

For all its benefits, self-awareness won’t save us from difficulty.

Of course not.

But it can save us from flying blind and make us more likely to respond to challenges with our better selves.

And that’s when those inner strengths we’ve discovered can really shine.