Self-Awareness in Transformational Leadership

At Nebo, we define transformation as a shift from one state to another – a change, or set of changes, from which there is no going back. Transformational leaders drive meaningful change in their organizations and communities. Self-awareness is where transformational leadership begins. Through a combination of self-observation and self-reflection, leaders can make adaptations quickly, correcting their approach and improving their impact and effectiveness.

In Nebo’s Transformational Leadership Framework (Be, See, Say, Do), self-awareness falls into the domain of Be. Be refers to how a leader “shows up.” This takes into account the impact of an individual’s presence and their ability to embody organizational values, as well as the quality of their connections and relationships. Self-awareness requires an honest look in the mirror and feedback to help see beyond the usual way of thinking about oneself.

Here are a few ways to increase self-awareness:

- Spend time in self-observation.Without judgment, notice your moods, attitudes, beliefs and habits. Pay attention to what motivated you, what challenges you, and notice your triggers. Are you able to sit with your emotions? What happens when you sit with an uncomfortable emotion? Jot down your observations in a journal.

- Create space for self-reflection. Now that you have made self-observations, give yourself time to reflect on what you have noticed. What patterns do you notice? Are you able to identify the source of your beliefs and assumptions? Do those beliefs and assumptions serve you at this time; are they holding you back?

- Seek feedback from others. Transformational leaders set ego aside and are genuinely curious regarding the feedback of others. They ask questions such as “What is it like for you? What do you need?” “What could I do differently?” Asking for feedback through tools like the Leadership Circle Profile and working through the feedback with a leadership coach is also a great way to open oneself up to feedback from others.