On the Self-Awareness Superhighway, August '24
Reflections Newsletter: Looking Back to Go Forward
👋🏼 Welcome
Hello KSKOers and welcome to new subscribers!
This month’s reflections newsletter celebrates The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast’s second birthday! Join me in reflecting on the conversations I’ve had with my amazing podcast guests and the insights and inspiration they’ve shared from 2022-24.
REFLECTIONS REPORT: Navigating Self-Aware Leadership - A Global Journey of Insights and Inspiration
Top Takeaways from The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast 2022 – 2024: Discussing Self-Aware Leadership with Thinkers from Around the Globe
Executive Summary
The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast is turning two this September, 2024! Over 78 episodes, host Dr. Nia D. Thomas has taken listeners on a journey through the world of self-awareness in leadership. This Reflection Report condenses the wisdom shared by global thinkers, exploring how self-awareness shapes leadership, decision-making, and team dynamics.
Dive into why self-awareness is the secret sauce for building kinder, more respectful, and creative workplaces. We’ll spotlight the key takeaways from the podcast, offer actionable strategies for developing self-aware leadership skills, and look ahead to the future of leadership in a digital world.
The consensus is clear: self-awareness isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a cornerstone of effective leadership, employee wellbeing, and organisational success. This report is packed with insights and recommendations to help individuals and organisations cultivate a culture of self-awareness, ensuring that leaders have the tools to reflect, recognise impact, and regulate behaviour in their daily practice.
1. Introduction
The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast, hosted by Dr. Nia D. Thomas, has emerged as a significant voice in the conversation about leadership and self-awareness. The podcast features a diverse lineup of leaders from various industries, each offering unique perspectives on how self-awareness shapes their leadership style and approach to challenges.
In response to the growing recognition that self-awareness is essential for effective leadership, Nia launched the podcast after completing her doctoral research. Her aim was to take her research findings from academia to the office.
“I don't think it's the responsibility of leaders to make people happy… but what you can do is you can create an environment where you maximise the chances of them being happy in your workspace”
, Ep. 62
As the world navigates increasingly complex challenges, leaders’ ability to understand themselves and their impact on others is more critical than ever. This report distils two years of insightful conversations into valuable lessons for the leaders of today and the leaders of tomorrow.
2. Background
Self-awareness is often touted as a critical leadership skill, but what does it really mean? It’s about knowing your emotions, motivations, strengths, and weaknesses, and understanding how these factors influence your behaviour and decisions. It’s about your impact on others and the choices you can make to change your behaviour. The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast aims to explore this multi-layered concept and raise awareness of not only what we do but how we do it.
During the pandemic, leaders had to adapt quickly, often without their usual support systems. This tumultuous period highlighted the importance of self-awareness in managing relationships, fostering inclusion, and prioritising wellbeing. This report explores the global perspectives shared on the podcast, offering a tapestry of insights on building kinder, more creative working environments.
3. Thinkers from Around the Globe
The podcast features a diverse group of thinkers from across the globe. Nia has been joined by leaders and experts from the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Asia, and Europe, hailing from industries like healthcare, retail, education, and specialisms like psychology and coaching. Despite their varied backgrounds, they all agree on one thing: self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership.
Their collective wisdom provides a rich resource for anyone looking to build more respectful and creative workplaces. This report captures their insights, making it easier for you and your colleagues to apply these lessons in your own leadership journeys.
“I think a little bit of honesty in that space and also shown some vulnerability there because as leaders, we don't always have all the answers, so I think it's really important that we understand the Strengths of the people that were working around and not being afraid to say, look. I need some help with this.”
PART 1: WHY
4. Why Self-Awareness Matters
Why is self-awareness such a game-changer in leadership? The podcast reveals five key reasons:
“I believe that when people are more self-aware, they communicate better, handle stress more effectively”
Enhances Communication and Collaboration: Self-aware leaders are better communicators, adapting their style to connect more effectively with diverse teams.
Increases Leader Effectiveness: By recognizing biases and limitations, self-aware leaders make more informed and balanced decisions.
Promotes Employee Wellbeing and Engagement: Leaders who are attuned to their own emotions are more likely to create supportive environments where employees feel valued.
Facilitates Conflict Resolution: Self-aware leaders are better equipped to handle conflicts, understanding their own triggers and considering others’ perspectives.
Drives Organisational Success: The combination of better communication, leader effectiveness, and employee wellbeing leads to overall organisational success.
PART 2: WHAT
5. Key Discussion Themes
Certain themes consistently emerge in conversations across the podcast’s discussions:
“…you have to work really, really hard to build the relationships, so people feel able to give you that feedback so that you can grow.”
Feedback: Giving and receiving feedback is essential for growth and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Emotional Intelligence: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence go hand in hand, helping leaders navigate complex interpersonal dynamics.
Vulnerability and Authenticity: Embracing vulnerability is seen as a strength, helping leaders build trust and create a safe space for their teams.
Decision-Making: Self-aware leaders make better decisions by considering multiple perspectives, especially under pressure.
Organisational Culture: Self-aware leaders shape organisational culture, promoting values like trust, collaboration, and inclusivity.
“I think authenticity comes before confidence in the sense that once your thoughts, words, and actions are aligned, you'll achieve the confidence you need to achieve work-life harmony.”
6. Behaviours Underpinned by Self-Awareness
Self-awareness underpins several key leadership behaviours:
“For me, the more self-aware leaders are, generally the better leaders. And that is because they will be able to listen with empathy…”
Empathy: Understanding and sharing others' feelings starts with self-awareness
Adaptability: Self-aware leaders are more adaptable, adjusting their behaviour in response to new challenges.
Integrity: Self-awareness helps leaders align their actions with their values, ensuring consistent behaviour.
Accountability: Self-aware leaders are more likely to hold themselves accountable, acknowledging mistakes and taking corrective action.
Visionary Thinking: Self-awareness enables leaders to reflect on their long-term goals and align current actions with future objectives.
“And, yes, we do need visionary leaders. We do need pioneers. But I think even there, they can be more effective if they are realising that their effectiveness is through people.”
PART 3: HOW
7. Developing Self-Aware Leadership Skills
Developing self-awareness is a journey, not a destination. Here are five strategies shared by podcast guests:
“I'm a huge advocate of coaching and mentoring. And I've done a fair amount of it in my in my own journey in career. And I think great leaders are also great coaches. So they have great coaching styles, and they're able to coach others.”
Regular Reflection: Take time to think about your actions, decisions, and experiences, aligning them with your values.
Seeking and Acting on Feedback: Actively seek feedback and use it as a tool for growth.
Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation: Practice mindfulness to stay present and regulate your emotions.
Coaching and Mentoring: Engage with coaches or mentors for external perspectives and guidance.
Continuous Learning and Development: Keep learning, challenging your beliefs, and seeking new experiences to enhance self-awareness.
8. Recommendations for Growth
Based on the podcast's insights, here are recommendations for individuals to grow self-aware leadership skills and for organisations to create the capacity and space to growth.
For Individuals:
Embrace Continuous Self-Improvement: Commit to ongoing growth by regularly reflecting, seeking feedback, and learning from experiences.
Cultivate a Growth Mindset: View challenges as opportunities for learning and self-discovery.
Prioritise Wellbeing: Practice self-care, set boundaries, and seek support when needed.
“In the dozens and dozens and dozens of leadership development programs that I've participated in or facilitated, I've noticed a theme. And the theme is every single leadership development program I've seen all starts with a module on leading self-awareness. And it makes sense.”
For Organisations:
Promote a Culture of Feedback: Foster an environment where feedback is encouraged, valued, and acted upon.
Invest in Leadership Development: Provide resources for leadership development with a focus on self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
Create a Culture of Vulnerability: Encourage leaders to be open about their challenges and growth areas, creating a safe space for others to do the same.
9. Conclusion
The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast has been a treasure trove of insights on self-awareness in leadership. Over the past two years, it’s clear that self-awareness is critical for enhancing communication, leadership effectiveness, and organisational success.
As the world continues to evolve, self-aware leaders will be essential for navigating complex dynamics and leading with integrity. This report serves as a roadmap for cultivating self-awareness, offering actionable strategies to help individuals and organisations create more inclusive, empathetic, and effective workplaces.
“So you don't just establish a role of ‘I'm a good leader’, and that's it, your development is done. It's a continuous cycle of always checking in with yourself, how can I show up better, how can I better serve the people that I'm leading.”
This Report has been made into an audio and video podcast which you can listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts etc and watch on YouTube.
Spotify….
YouTube….
🔭 Forward view to September ‘24
I’m really looking forward to September. My podcasting and writing schedule is going to be changing. The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast episodes will move to a fortnightly release and in the in-between weeks, I’ll be writing more newsletter articles about self-aware leadership and reflections on the world of work.
Here are some articles you might like to read
On the 12th September I’ll be at the Chicken and Frog Bookshop in Brentwood, Essex, UK talking about The Self-Awareness Superhighway. Come along and join in the chat! Book your ticket via eventbrite. If you don’t live nearby, please share with someone you know who does! Everyone’s welcome! You can find all online and highstreet stockists of my book here.
On the 25th September I’ll be hosting a webinar to celebrate International Week of Happiness at Work: Drive Self-Aware Leadership: Fuel a Happy Workplace from 4pm - 5pm BST. Join me to discover, explore and grow! Book through eventbrite.
See you in September!
Looking forward to having you on my learning journey!
Nia is an expert leader who talks the talk and walks the walk. She is an academically awarded thought leader in self-aware leadership and practices self-aware leadership every single day in her role as a Director in a Children’s Charity.
Find out more about Self-Aware Leadership by getting your very own copy of The Self-Awareness Superhighway now!
