In the corporate world, we have seen a rise in requests for education around self awareness. That’s curious. Why would leaders be asking for help with a topic such as this?
What we've discovered is that this topic is more important than ever. With the rise of AI, sending a polished response is easier than ever. But what happens when the screen is lifted and person-to-person interactions take center stage? AI can't read the room for us. Our interpersonal muscles have weakened, which means how we show up in real-time interactions might not represent our best selves. This is where self-awareness comes in.
When we say self awareness, there is a two fold component. First, let’s cover the internal aspect of self awareness.
Self-awareness is the ability to notice what’s happening within you—your thoughts, emotions, and physical signals—and understand how they influence your behavior and impact on others.
It is:
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Paying attention in real time
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Recognizing patterns instead of judging them
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Creating space between a trigger and a response
It’s not:
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Overanalyzing yourself
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Being self-critical
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Having everything figured out
Self-awareness helps you understand how you work—your energy, stressors, and patterns—so you can respond intentionally instead of reactively. It allows you to spot stress signals early, build sustainable habits, create better boundaries, and show up with more clarity and ease in both work and life.
One simple practice that can help with self-awareness throughout the day is a check in.
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How am I feeling mentally?
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How am I feeling physically?
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How am I feeling emotionally?
Checking in throughout the day will help strengthen the awareness of what is going on internally so that it doesn’t show up externally in a reactive way. Other practices are available such as a thought log, the STOPP practice, and use of a feelings wheel. All of these tools can help you slow down and listen to what is going on inside.
Secondly, self-awareness is foundational to your personal brand, i.e. the consistent experience people have when working with you.
It is not:
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Your title
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Self promotion
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Your personality
It is:
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How you communicate
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How you collaborate
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How you handle stress and conflict
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How you follow through
To build a clear personal brand, start with what you want to be known for at work. Reflect on how others currently experience working with you, identify your core values and how and when you want them to shine through at work, and consider how you want people to feel after interacting with you. Define the qualities you want to consistently embody—keeping them realistic and attainable. Then ask yourself: what needs to shift? It might be letting go of an old pattern or experimenting with something new. Here are some reflections to help you get started:
- What do you want to be known for at work?
- What is it like for others to work with you today?
- When someone walks away from a conversation with you, how do you want them to feel?
- What are some of your core values? See our core values article for more guidance on this.
- If someone observed you in a meeting, what visible cues would signal this brand? (Think: body language, presence, voice tone, energy)
- What needs to shift to show up as this person? Maybe it’s a pattern you leave behind, maybe it’s something new you try.
Self-awareness changes how you experience your work, how others experience you, and what becomes possible.