How to Improve Your Leadership Through Self-Awareness

I was working with a senior leader recently who told me, “I don’t understand why my team isn’t responding well to my feedback. I’m just being direct.”

So, I asked her a few questions about how she thought her communication style landed with her team.

She paused and said, “I’ve never really thought about it.”

That conversation reminded me of something I see all the time.

Many leaders work incredibly hard to improve their leadership skills, but they rarely stop to think about the impact their leadership style is having on their team.

This is why self-awareness is so important.

Self-awareness is the ability to understand your own strengths, blind spots, communication style and the impact you have on others.

Without it, leadership becomes guesswork.

You may think you’re being supportive when your team experiences you as controlling.

You may think you’re being decisive when others see you as dismissive.

Or you may avoid difficult conversations altogether because you don’t realize how uncomfortable conflict makes you.

The better you understand yourself, the better you’ll understand how to lead others.

The Research Is Clear

Research consistently shows that self-aware leaders are more effective.

One well-known study by organizational psychologist Dr. Tasha Eurich found that while 95% of people believe they are self-aware, only about 10–15% actually are. Her research also found that leaders with higher levels of self-awareness tend to make better decisions, build stronger relationships, communicate more effectively and lead higher-performing teams.

That’s a powerful reminder that believing we’re self-aware and actually being self-aware are often two very different things.

You Can’t Improve What You Don’t Understand

One of the fastest ways to increase your self-awareness is to use a leadership assessment.

There are many excellent tools available, but one of my favourites is The DiSC Workplace® assessment because it focuses on how you naturally behave and communicate at work.

The DiSC Workplace® assessment doesn’t tell you who you are.

It helps you understand how you tend to approach your work, make decisions, communicate, respond to pressure and interact with others.

Once you understand your natural style, you can play to your strengths while becoming more intentional about the habits that may be getting in your way.

For example:

• A highly driven leader may need to slow down and listen more
• A relationship-focused leader may need to become more comfortable having difficult conversations
• A detail-oriented leader may need to avoid getting stuck in analysis and make decisions more quickly

The goal isn’t to change your personality.

The goal is to become the best version of yourself.

That’s what authentic leadership is all about.

It’s understanding your natural strengths, recognizing your blind spots and learning how to adapt your style so you can bring out the best in your people.

A Challenge for You

Ask yourself these three questions:

• What are my greatest leadership strengths?
• What leadership habit might be holding me back?
• Have I ever asked my team how they experience my leadership?

The more self-aware you become, the more intentional and effective you become as a leader.

If you’d like to better understand your leadership style, this is exactly what we do in my Lead Your People leadership program.

Every participant completes a DiSC Workplace® assessment and receives practical coaching to interpret their results. Together, we’ll create a personalized action plan so you can leverage your strengths, address your blind spots and develop an authentic leadership style that builds trust and inspires your team.

It’s one of the most valuable investments you can make in yourself as a leader, and I’d love to have you join us.

Space is limited. Registration closes August 31st, so register here today.

Self-awareness often comes from having someone challenge the way you see things. Here’s a note from a leader who experienced that first hand:

Vanessa, you are so knowledgeable and engaging. You really challenged our group to shed biases and embrace new leadership perspectives. I had many ‘aha’ moments in the course, particularly in how to lead strategically. I really enjoyed the group discussions, which brought the material to life.

Sandra Tyson, Senior Project Manager, Avison Young

Thank you for sharing!

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