We talk a lot about emotional intelligence in leadership, but at the core of it sits something deceptively simple: self-awareness.
Not the theoretical kind. The real, lived, moment-to-moment awareness of what’s happening around you – and what’s happening within you – as you lead.
Awareness Starts with the Basics
Before we can understand our leadership impact, we need to understand our own presence.
Right now, as you read this – where are you?
At your desk between meetings? Standing by the office kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil? Wedged between strangers on your daily commute?
What’s happening around you?
Do you hear keyboards tapping, notifications pinging, quiet conversations, or someone’s music leaking from their headphones??
Can you smell fresh coffee, someone’s lunch heating up, the paper from the printer?
Are you glancing at your calendar, or simply observing the energy of the people around you – colleagues or commuters alike?
If you can tune into even one of these senses, you’re already practicing awareness. It’s the skill of noticing – yourself, your environment, and the subtle signals of what’s happening around you.
Leadership self-awareness is simply the next layer:
Noticing the impact of your behaviour in the moments you’re shaping.
Self-Awareness Is a Deliberate Practice
Self-awareness isn’t a fast process.
It doesn’t thrive in urgency or in back-to-back meetings.
It grows when leaders pause, slow down, and choose to reflect instead of react.
I often return to a definition I love from Ashley and Reiter-Palmon:
Self-awareness is an inward evaluative process where individuals compare themselves against their own standards, with the goal of better self-knowledge and improvement.
This is not about comparison to others – their performance, their personality, their pace.
It’s me vs. me.
How did I respond last time?
What patterns am I seeing?
What’s the intention I want to lead with now?
What principle can guide me through this moment?
It’s leadership as a feedback loop – one that starts internally before it ever reaches your team.
Why Self-Awareness Matters for Leaders Today
Leadership puts us in a constant spotlight – sometimes warming, sometimes searing.
And under that light, we grow whether we want to or not.
Growth can be uncomfortable.
It stretches us. It disrupts us. It demands new behaviours before we feel ready.
Self-awareness is the lubricant that makes that growth smoother.
It doesn’t remove the discomfort, but it helps us understand:
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What we need
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What triggers us
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What supports us
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What helps us make decisions with clarity
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What keeps us grounded, connected, and intentional
For some leaders, the lubricant is better communication.
For others, it’s greater trust, clearer strategy, or deeper alignment with their leadership style.
The point is: you can’t strengthen what you can’t see.
And leaders who intentionally tune in – to themselves, their patterns, and their impact – experience growth that is not just faster, but cleaner, clearer, and far more sustainable.
The Invitation
Self-awareness isn’t about perfection.
It’s about presence.
It’s about leadership that starts on the inside before it shapes anything on the outside.
For leaders willing to pause, reflect, and look inward – even briefly – the impact expands exponentially.
If deeper self-awareness is part of the leader you want to be, start 2026 with clear intentions.
The 5 Minutes in Feb journaling challenge delivers daily prompts designed to help you pause, reflect, and set your focus for the year ahead. Just five minutes a day can help you clarify priorities, uncover insights, and step into the year with purpose.
