In my recent exploration of self-awareness, I came across an enlightening book by Tasha Eurich, which delved into the complexities and nuances of this often-misunderstood concept. Tasha’s work, based on extensive research, offers profound insights into the true nature of self-awareness, which is far rarer than most of us assume.
Unveiling the Myths of Self-Awareness
Tasha Eurich points out that while many of us believe we possess self-awareness, in reality, it’s a quality that’s quite scarce. Through her research, she highlights the significance of self-awareness in fostering confidence, creativity, and effective decision-making. It’s intriguing to learn how self-aware people tend to be more honest, successful in their careers, and effective in leadership roles.
A Deep Dive into Self-Awareness Research
Tasha’s extensive study, involving nearly 5,000 participants across 10 separate investigations, revealed that only about 10%-15% of people genuinely exhibit self-awareness. Her research categorizes self-awareness into two types: internal and external. Internal self-awareness involves understanding one’s values, aspirations, and impacts on others, which correlates with higher job satisfaction and personal happiness. External self-awareness, on the other hand, is about understanding how others perceive us, essential for empathy and leadership effectiveness.
Decoding the Types of Self-Awareness
What I find particularly fascinating in Tasha’s work is the concept of self-awareness archetypes. The research identifies two types of self-awareness: internal and external. Internal self-awareness is about understanding our own values, passions, reactions, strengths, and weaknesses. External self-awareness involves understanding how others perceive us. The distinction between internal and external self-awareness is particularly relevant to agile coaching. Internal self-awareness (understanding one’s values, aspirations, and impact on others) is crucial for personal growth and resilience, which are key in navigating the uncertainties and rapid changes in an agile environment. External self-awareness (understanding how others view us) is equally important for fostering collaboration, empathy, and trust within teams.
Agile ways of working like Scrum and Kanban emphasize regular feedback loops and retrospectives, which are opportunities to develop both types of self-awareness. In agile teams, balancing these types of self-awareness is essential. Agile thrives on feedback and reflection, and understanding both self-perception and external perception can greatly enhance team dynamics and performance .She also identifies four distinct types: Seekers (low in both internal and external self-awareness), Pleasers (high external, low internal), Introspectors (high internal, low external), and Aware (high in both). This categorization challenges the common assumption that excelling in one type of self-awareness naturally leads to excelling in the other.
The four self-awareness archetypes (Seekers, Pleasers, Introspectors, and Aware) provide a useful framework for agile coaches to assess and guide leaders and team members. For example, a Pleasers might struggle with prioritizing work effectively, while an Introspector might resist feedback. Developing a balance of internal and external self-awareness is essential for agile leaders who need to adapt their style to different team dynamics and organizational challenges.
Experience, Power, and Their Effects on Self-Awareness
Tasha Eurich’s research also sheds light on how experience and power can paradoxically hinder self-awareness. It’s interesting to note that senior leaders often overrate their abilities due to limited feedback and a false sense of confidence. The key to countering this, as Tasha suggests, is for leaders to actively seek out diverse and honest feedback.
Rethinking Introspection for Self-Awareness
One of the most surprising findings in Tasha’s article is the ineffectiveness of introspection in improving self-awareness, especially when it focuses on “Why” questions. These tend to lead to incorrect assumptions and negative thought patterns. Instead, Tasha advocates for a shift towards “What” questions, which promote a more objective and forward-looking perspective.
The idea that introspection doesn’t always lead to self-awareness is a fascinating one. In agile coaching, we often encourage reflection as a tool for learning and improvement. In our professional coach competencies course we highlight WHAT questions as the ones that allows for deeper insight and learning, and can lead to more productive insights and this also aligns with the agile focus on empirical learning and taking action based on what is observed rather than getting bogged down in analysis paralysis. Forward Focused conversation tend to help clients look for what it is that holds them back, instead of evaluating what failed.
Why should this all matter to me, I hear you think?
Well, I can only speak for myself, of course. As a leadership coach, one of my fundamental roles is to facilitate leaders in developing a deeper understanding of themselves, which is crucial for the overall health and success of their organization. By guiding leaders through the process of self-discovery, I help them recognize and embrace both their strengths and areas for growth. This journey often involves challenging preconceived notions and encouraging leaders to engage in honest self-reflection and introspection. By fostering a heightened sense of self-awareness, leaders become more effective in their roles, as they are better equipped to make informed decisions, communicate effectively, and empathize with their team members. This increased self-understanding not only leads to personal growth but also creates a more positive and productive work environment. When leaders are self-aware, they set a powerful example for their teams, encouraging a culture of openness, trust, and continuous improvement. In turn, this leads to enhanced team performance, stronger relationships, and a more resilient and adaptable organization. As a leadership coach, I find it incredibly rewarding to witness the transformative impact that improved self-awareness can have on both individual leaders and the organizations they lead.
