New year. New goals. Same leadership challenges?
Here’s what I see every January: leaders set ambitious targets, plan team restructures, promise better results. But they skip the most important work.
They don’t get more aware.
I’ve coached leaders for years. The ones who actually transform this year won’t do it through better strategies or harder work. They’ll do it by seeing what they couldn’t see before.
Awareness isn’t some soft skill you add to your development plan. It’s the foundation everything else is built on. Without it, you’re leading blind.
Try these shifts to build real awareness:
Notice your patterns under pressure. When things get tense, what do you do? Micromanage? Avoid? Snap at people? Your stress response runs the show more than you think. Pay attention to it. You can’t change what you don’t see.
Ask how others experience you. Your intentions don’t matter if your impact is different. “How do I come across in meetings?” is a question most leaders never ask. The gap between how you think you show up and how you actually show up? That’s where your blind spots live.
Track your energy. Notice what drains you and what fuels you. Not what should energize you. What actually does. Leaders who ignore this burn out or make everyone around them miserable. Self-awareness includes knowing your limits.
Watch for the stories you tell yourself. “My team isn’t motivated.” “This person is being difficult.” “Nobody appreciates what I do.” These narratives feel true, but they’re often just your interpretation. Question them. What else might be happening?
Pay attention to what you avoid. The conversation you keep postponing. The decision you’re not making. The feedback you’re not giving. Your avoidance patterns tell you exactly where you need to grow. Most leaders know what they’re dodging. They just pretend they don’t.
Here’s what happens when you get more aware: you stop reacting and start responding. You catch yourself before you interrupt. You notice when you’re about to send an email you’ll regret. You see the team dynamic shifting before it becomes a problem.
Awareness gives you choice. Without it, you’re on autopilot.
I worked with a senior director recently who was frustrated with her team. “They never take initiative,” she complained. “I have to tell them everything.”
We started with awareness work. I asked her to track how she responded when people brought her ideas. What she discovered surprised her.
Every time someone suggested something, she immediately pointed out what wouldn’t work. She thought she was being strategic. Her team heard “don’t bother trying.”
Once she saw the pattern, she could change it. She started asking questions instead of shooting things down. She let people work through problems before jumping in. Within weeks, her team’s initiative skyrocketed.
The behavior didn’t change because she tried harder. It changed because she saw what she was actually doing.
That’s the power of awareness. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about seeing yourself clearly enough to make different choices.
Most leaders overestimate their self-awareness. Research shows that while 95% of people think they’re self-aware, only 10-15% actually are. That gap is costing you more than you realize.
Your blind spots are impacting your team right now. Your unexamined habits are creating the culture you say you don’t want. Your lack of awareness about how you show up is limiting everything you’re trying to build.
This year, skip the surface-level goals. Get curious about yourself instead. Notice your patterns. Ask for honest feedback. Pay attention to your impact.
The leaders who do this work don’t just get better results. They become the kind of person others actually want to follow.
What pattern are you ready to see differently this year?
If you want to build genuine self-awareness and strengthen your leadership, schedule a call with me.
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