Internal Awareness vs. External Awareness in Leadership
Sep 24, 2024
A recent Harvard Business Review article shared that although 95% of people think they are self-aware, only 10-15 % of people are truly self aware.
Self-awareness has two components: internal and external. Internal self-awareness involves understanding one's values, personality traits, strengths, and weaknesses. External self-awareness refers to how well one comprehends how others perceive them. These two aspects of self-awareness are separate from one another.
When it comes to internal and external self-awareness, it’s tempting to value one over the other. However, leaders should actively focus on both aspects, seeing themselves clearly and seeking feedback to understand how they are viewed by others. The highly self-aware individuals interviewed in the article were mindful of achieving a balance between the two.
For example, James, a marketing manager, initially emphasized internal self-awareness by transitioning from accounting to marketing. However, after receiving feedback during a company training session, he realized the importance of external self-awareness and now values both equally. This has led to greater success and fulfillment for him.
It is essential to have candid conversations with ourselves and others. Seeking feedback from those around us allows for a better understanding of how we are perceived in different situations, enabling us to navigate social and leadership scenarios more effectively. We don’t live on the other side of ourselves, we live inside ourselves.
I (Cindy) remember John Maxwell sharing an experience he had speaking for a large corporation. One of many, but this one was exceptionally large and he knew they were having communication challenges. He talked about leadership blindspots, and the fact that every leader has strengths that help them lead and perform incredibly well in those areas. And how every leader has weaknesses and he went through stories and examples from his own experiences, he left no toe untouched. Every toe was stepped on but in a way that made the leaders listening want to become better and an awareness of at least some of the areas they could accomplish this in. Some of their blindspots were revealed to them and they could now set out to grow and change in these areas. He knew he really connected with the audience, they got it, and they would be having conversations with their teams about their blindspots so they could become better together.
John Maxwell once shared an anecdote about addressing leadership blindspots before a large group. He emphasized that every leader possesses strengths and weaknesses, and by acknowledging and addressing these weaknesses, individuals can become more effective leaders. The key is to communicate openly with one's team about areas needing improvement.
In one instance, a leader reacted negatively to being told they should disclose their weaknesses to their team. After a conversation with John, the leader understood that it was not about showcasing weaknesses, but rather about demonstrating self-awareness and allowing the team to work collaboratively to overcome weaknesses. After all, his team already knew his weaknesses but now they understood that he knew them too!
Self-awareness is a result of maturity, feedback, growth, and a willingness to continuously strive for improvement. Bob, the leader mentioned in the anecdote, became a better leader when he embraced external awareness and acknowledged the importance of self-awareness in leadership.
