Self-awareness is the key to successful leadership. But how many of us overestimate this skill? Studies show that only a fraction of people actually have a realistic picture of themselves. What happens if you lack this important building block and how can you specifically strengthen it? In this article, you will find out why self-awareness is so crucial and how you can improve it with simple strategies to be more successful in your leadership role.
Table of contents
See yourself realistically and thus lead more effectively
According to Daniel Goleman, self-awareness is the ability to see oneself realistically, to recognize one's emotions and behaviours and to understand one's own strengths, weaknesses, motives and values. Tasha Eurich, psychologist and expert in the field of self-awareness, summarizes in her TED Talk "Increase Your Self-Awareness With One Simple Fix" summarizes various research findings and shows the immense importance of this competence: people who are self-aware are more fulfilled, have stronger relationships, are more creative and self-confident, are better communicators, do better work, are more likely to be promoted and are more effective leaders in more profitable companies. This makes self-awareness not only an important cornerstone of emotional intelligence according to Goleman, but also the key to successful leadership. And yet it is often missing. Why?
We overestimate ourselves
Statistics show that most people overestimate their self-awareness. Tasha Eurich's team found that 95 percent of people believe that they are self-aware. In reality, however, only around 10-15 percent are! 😉
Inner and outer self-perception
In her work, Tasha Eurich distinguishes between two types of self-perception:
- Inner self-perception refers to your understanding of your own emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Are you able to see your own strengths and weaknesses clearly? Do you know your values and what motivates you?
- External self-perception on the other hand, describes how well you understand how other people perceive you. This is particularly important in leadership, as your ability to communicate with your team and maintain relationships is directly influenced by how others see and experience you.
According to Eurich, leaders need to develop a balance between these two types of self-perception. It is not enough just to know how you see yourself; you also need to recognize how others perceive you.
How a lack of self-reflection leads to burnout
Without sufficient self-awareness, you can miss the early warning signs of stress and overwhelm. Many managers who have too little self-awareness ignore their limits and fail to notice signs of exhaustion. This increases the risk of burnout.
When you don't recognize your own emotional states, you often develop unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as ignoring breaks or suppressing emotions. In the long run, this leads to a feeling of being overwhelmed, which not only affects your own performance, but also the performance of your team.
A lack of self-reflection also means that you do not adapt your behaviors. Without this skill, it is difficult to control emotional reactions, which can lead to impulsive or reactive decisions in stressful situations.
The path to more self-awareness
So how can you improve your self-awareness? Tasha Eurich emphasizes two key strategies:
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Ask "what" instead of "why"
- Instead of asking yourself "Why am I so stressed?", ask yourself "What can I do to deal with it better?" This simple change of question can help you to think in a more constructive and solution-oriented way.
- Questions such as "why" often lead to negative thought spirals and self-criticism, while "what" questions focus you on concrete possibilities for action.
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Use feedback
- In order to know how you are perceived from the outside, it is important to regularly obtain feedback from your employees and colleagues. Feedback gives you valuable insights into how others perceive you and helps you to identify blind spots.
- 360-degree feedback is particularly valuable because it allows you to gain a comprehensive view of your leadership behavior.
Long-term success through self-reflection
Self-awareness is a continuous process. It is not enough to ask for feedback once or to take an hour for self-reflection. It's about regularly pausing and consciously thinking about your behavior, emotions, values and motives. Managers who continuously strive for self-awareness are not only more successful and have better relationships with their team, but are also more balanced and resilient to stress.
When was the last time you actively sought feedback? If you are looking for support to receive honest feedback and work specifically on your self-perception, please get in touch with me. Together we can find out how you can further develop your leadership skills. And if you would like to read more on this topic, I recommend the article "Four common traps in self-reflection and how to avoid them".
Sources
- Daniel Goleman (2002, 2022): Emotional leadership
- Tasha Eurich (2017): Increase your self-awareness with one simple fix, Tedx
- Tasha Eurich (2017): Insight - For anyone seeking to live a happier, more successful life. Pan Macmillan
- Tasha Eurich (2018): What Self-Awareness Really Is (and How to Cultivate It), Harvard Business Review
About Sybille Imbach, organizational psychologist
Sybille Imbach is dedicated to helping managers and teams strengthen their emotional intelligence and resilience. With many years of experience as an organizational psychologist, she specializes in sustainable strategies in stress management and team development to promote personal well-being, effective leadership and constructive teamwork. Her expertise combines psychology and coaching in a unique way to create healthy and productive work environments.
When classic tools or self-help books no longer help, Sybille Imbach starts where real change begins: with inner clarification, emotional depth and sustainable self-management.
