Are You a Conscious or Unconscious Leader?
To quote Maya Angelou, “When you know better, you do better.”
This quote explains why self-awareness isn’t just a buzzword. Rather, it’s the cornerstone of effective leadership.
One of my clients, let’s call her Alex, recently resigned from a job she once loved.
The reason?
Despite good intentions, her boss created an environment of constant scrutiny, micromanagement, and lack of support. This leader, oblivious to the impact of his actions, was blindsided by Alex’s departure.
This scenario is a great example of what I call “unconscious leadership.”
Unconscious leaders are unaware of how their behaviours create an environment that stifles their team’s creativity, autonomy, and growth.
In today’s complex work environment, the repercussions of unconscious leadership extend far beyond a single resignation.
It can lead to:
- High turnover rates, especially among top talent
- Disengagement and decreased productivity
- Struggles with innovation and adaptability
- Difficulty in maintaining work-life balance, leading to burnout
Can your organization afford the consequences of unconscious leaders?
More importantly, can your career aspirations withstand the limitations of unconscious leadership?
I think not!
The good news?
Unconscious leadership isn’t a life sentence.
By cultivating self-awareness, anyone can become a “conscious leader” who understands their impact, leverages their strengths, and continuously works on their growth areas.
Regardless of where you are on your leadership journey, I have developed an assessment that you can take to determine your current self-awareness!
Take this short self-assessment highlighting the most common “unconscious” behaviours I see regularly.
Whether you checked one or many of these areas on this list is great.
Once you recognize and acknowledge that these behaviours are prevalent in your leadership practice, you begin to move from being “unconscious” to “conscious,” and you can ultimately start working on a development plan.
Self-awareness is not a “nice to have” characteristic for leaders; it is fundamental to the success of your team and business.
Are you ready for some one-on-one coaching to address some of the leadership gaps identified in the quiz? Send me an email at vanessa@mosaicpd.com.
