My first exposure to honest feedback came through my initial onboarding experience with the faith-based organization that hired me out of college. Since this predates our current digital age, most communication from HR in those days was verbal or written. The joke among new hires was "to look out for the pink slip of paper." This pink note is not the "pink slip" you are considering now. If someone received a note on a blue slip of paper, it meant you had a follow-up meeting with Human Resources. If you received a note on a pink slip of paper, it meant that you had an appointment with a counselor to go over some details from your psych evaluation.

Within my first week of onboarding, I received a pink note. When I arrived for my counseling appointment, I was a little nervous. What did the organization discover? What's wrong with me? Will this keep me from joining the organization? It all felt ominous. Even though I was in my early 20s, I already considered myself a leader. I had held several offices in my fraternity while in college. I was an officer for the Inter-Fraternity Counsel on my campus. I had been recognized by Omicron Delta Kappa and by the Order of Omega as a campus leader. Surely, HR knew this and could not question my leadership character or competency. Right?

It soon became apparent that the counselor didn't care about those positions or accolades. My job application, with all of its glowing activities, was not his concern. He was concerned with my knowledge of myself and how I came across to others. In a word, my sense of self-awareness. "It is evident from your psych evaluation that you are overly concerned about seeking other's approval, and you seem to walk on eggshells with everybody." My response was, "What????" He continued, "How do you think this will affect your ability to perform well in challenging environments within our organization?" My response was, "What????" I was simultaneously angry and afraid. I was mad that he would suggest such things about me. And I was worried that the claims might be valid. No one had ever told me such things about myself. The counselor asked me to take some time over the next few days to ponder these observations before our next meeting. The more I thought about his feedback, the more I realized I could not ignore this new revelation. It was true to varying degrees throughout my life. I desperately wanted approval, especially from those in authority. Therefore, I often showed up timidly around authority. I walked on eggshells, hoping not to break the sacred code of approval.

That was my introduction to self-awareness and the need to understand who I am, how I come across to others, and where I need to grow. Of course, there were other encounters with feedback and the need to keep growing. But it was a jolt to my ego and revealed a keen need in my life. Over time, I began to see profound benefits to growing in self-awareness. Below is a list of eight different benefits revealed through research by authors such as Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Robert Kegan. Articles from the Harvard Business Review, Leadership Quarterly, and the Academy of Management Journal have also contributed to some of the results below. The list is a short compilation and does not say everything that could be displayed on this topic. However, you can quickly see how vital leadership self-awareness is to the critical functions of a leader. 

Growing leadership self-awareness offers a range of researched benefits:

1. Improved Decision-Making: Self-aware leaders are more attuned to their strengths, weaknesses, and biases, enabling them to make more informed and balanced decisions.

2. Enhanced Emotional Intelligence: Self-awareness fosters emotional intelligence, allowing leaders to better understand and regulate their emotions and empathize with others. This leads to improved interpersonal relationships and team dynamics.

3. Increased Adaptability and Flexibility: Awareness of one's tendencies and preferences enables leaders to adapt their leadership style to different situations and individuals, enhancing their effectiveness in diverse contexts.

4. Better Conflict Resolution: Self-aware leaders are more adept at recognizing and managing conflicts constructively, fostering open communication, collaboration, and creative problem-solving within teams.

5. Greater Resilience and Stress Management: Understanding their stress triggers and coping mechanisms helps leaders effectively manage pressure, maintain focus, and bounce back from setbacks.

6. Improved Communication Skills: Self-aware leaders are better communicators, as they can express themselves clearly, actively listen to others, and tailor their message to their audience, leading to more impactful and persuasive communication.

7. Increased Authenticity and Trust: Self-aware and genuine leaders inspire trust and credibility among their team members, leading to stronger relationships, higher morale, and increased loyalty.

8. Continual Growth and Development: Self-aware leaders are committed to personal and professional growth, actively seeking feedback, learning from experiences, and refining their leadership skills over time.

Overall, growing leadership self-awareness benefits the individual leader and positively impacts team performance, organizational culture, and overall effectiveness. The first step for you to consider is to download my free guide, The Leadership Self-Awareness Index, to assess your self-awareness level. A second step would be to consider attending one of my live masterclasses later this month, The Leadership Advantage: Understanding and Cultivating Self-Awareness.

Tasha Eurich, author of Insight, The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why The Answers Matter More Than We Think, calls self-awareness the meta-skill for the 21st-century leader. Start or continue your journey today!