The Superpower of Self-Awareness
If you’ve ever watched The Office, you know Michael Scott, the hilariously cringeworthy manager of Dunder Mifflin. Played brilliantly by Steve Carell, Michael’s total lack of self-awareness drives much of the show’s humor. But in real life, a leader without self-awareness isn’t funny—it’s frustrating.
As Henry Cloud points out,
“It is always the personal side that creates the problems, the stress, or messes up the goals.”
Without self-awareness, that “personal side” becomes a liability that hinders teams, relationships, and outcomes.
On the flip side, leaders who cultivate self-awareness create healthier cultures, stronger relationships, and better outcomes—not just for themselves, but for everyone around them. Here’s why self-awareness is the superpower every leader needs and how you can develop it.
1. It’s Key to Reaching Your Potential
During my time in the Arrow Leadership program, we explored the idea that leadership is a lifelong journey. One of the program’s foundational concepts came from Bill George’s book True North, which maps out three broad phases of leadership over a lifetime:
Preparation: Foundational years of learning and development.
Leading: Core career years of contribution and growth.
Giving Back: Later years of mentoring, legacy-building, and service.
The problem? Many leaders plateau in their 30s or 40s, stopping their growth just when they could be heading toward their peak impact. Why? A lack of self-awareness.
Without the humility to recognize areas for growth and the courage to address them, leaders stagnate. But when self-awareness becomes part of your leadership rhythm, you open the door to lifelong growth and the ability to fulfill your potential.
2. It’s Essential for Leading Today’s Workforce
In previous generations, leaders could rely on titles and authority alone to command respect. Today, not so much. The workforce is shifting, and with Millennials and Gen Z making up the majority of employees, leadership styles need to shift too.
Emerging generations value authenticity. Authority isn’t ascribed based on a title—it’s earned through alignment between words and actions. And authenticity is impossible without self-awareness.
If you want to lead effectively in today’s world, self-awareness isn’t optional. It’s how you earn trust, build credibility, and inspire teams to follow you.
3. It’s a Lifelong Journey
Self-awareness isn’t a destination; it’s a posture. As J.D. Salinger said, “Joy is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of travelling.” The same is true of self-awareness—it’s a continuous pursuit.
Cultural shifts, organizational changes, and evolving challenges mean yesterday’s approach won’t always work today. Lifelong growth in self-awareness allows you to adapt, grow, and meet the moment with clarity and effectiveness.
So how do you cultivate it? Start with three key areas:
a) Understanding Your Wiring
Self-awareness begins with understanding your natural tendencies. Are you detail-oriented or big-picture? Do you prefer structure or spontaneity? Knowing your wiring helps you lean into your strengths while addressing critical weaknesses.
There are plenty of tools to help you uncover your natural inclinations, such as:
These tools aren’t meant to box you in but to provide insight that empowers growth and alignment with contexts where you thrive.
b) Uncovering Unconscious Beliefs
Often, the beliefs that shape our behaviors are so deeply ingrained we don’t even realize they’re there. These unconscious instincts—shaped by upbringing, experiences, and relationships—can become blind spots.
Addressing these blind spots requires intentionality:
360-Degree Feedback: Tools like the Leadership Practices Inventory provide insights into how others experience you, offering a mirror to identify strengths and growth areas.
Coaching and Therapy: Skilled professionals can help you uncover patterns and beliefs that might be limiting you.
Self-Reflection: Journaling or structured reflection can help you interrogate your responses and identify areas where your instincts might need recalibrating.
c) Developing Conscious Skills and Behaviors
Sometimes, self-awareness is about recognising gaps in skills or behaviours and committing to growth. Whether it’s public speaking, conflict resolution, or intercultural competence, these areas can be strengthened through intentional learning and practice.
For example:
If you struggle to network, you can practice initiating conversations at events until it feels natural.
If you often escalate conflicts, you can learn strategies to de-escalate and engage productively.
Self-awareness isn’t just about knowing yourself—it’s about actively shaping yourself to lead more effectively.
Self-Awareness: The Non-Negotiable Superpower
In today’s fast-changing world, self-awareness isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. It’s how you grow into your full potential, lead authentically in a shifting workforce, and adapt to new challenges with grace and confidence.
So where are you on your journey of self-awareness? Whether you’re just starting out or have been on this path for years, make it a lifelong pursuit. Because self-awareness isn’t just about knowing yourself—it’s about becoming the kind of leader who inspires others to thrive.