Leadership Starts with Self-Awareness

Five Tips to Becoming a Better Leader

Leadership isn’t just about making decisions, delegating tasks, or driving results—it’s also about understanding yourself. At the heart of effective leadership lies self-awareness: the ability to recognize your own emotions, behaviors, and their impact on others. Without it, even the most well-intentioned leader can unintentionally alienate their team, make poor decisions, or stifle growth.

What Is Self-Awareness?

Self-awareness is the practice of understanding your thoughts, emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and how they influence your interactions with others. It’s not only about knowing who you are but also being willing to see how others perceive you.

For leaders, self-awareness enables:

• Better Decision-Making: Understanding your biases and thought patterns helps you make more balanced decisions.
• Stronger Relationships: Recognizing how your behavior affects others improves communication and trust.
• Adaptability: Knowing your triggers and tendencies allows you to respond thoughtfully, even under pressure.

Why Self-Awareness Matters in Leadership

Consider a small business owner named Sarah. She prided herself on being a hard worker and demanded the same from her team. While her intention was to inspire a strong work ethic, her team felt micromanaged and undervalued. Sarah’s inability to recognize how her actions were perceived led to frustration and high turnover.

Through coaching, Sarah learned to pause and reflect. She realized that her need for control stemmed from a fear of failure. By becoming more self-aware, she shifted her approach to empower her team, resulting in higher morale and productivity.

How to Develop Self-Awareness in a Small Business Setting

1. Seek Feedback from Others
   Ask trusted colleagues or employees for honest feedback about your leadership style. Tools like anonymous surveys can provide insights into how your actions are perceived.
   • Example: Tom, a small business manager, learned from a team survey that his abrupt communication style was intimidating. By softening his tone and asking more open-ended questions, he created a more collaborative environment.
2. Reflect on Your Behavior
   Take time at the end of each day to reflect on interactions and decisions. Ask yourself:
   • How did I handle that situation?
   • What could I have done differently?
   • How might others have felt?

Journaling your thoughts can help identify patterns and areas for growth.

1. Practice Mindfulness
   Being present in the moment helps you notice your emotions and reactions before they escalate. Mindfulness techniques, like deep breathing or meditation, can improve emotional regulation.
   • Example: During a tense client meeting, Jessica noticed her frustration building. By taking a moment to breathe and center herself, she maintained composure and navigated the discussion effectively.
2. Understand Your Triggers
   Identify situations or behaviors that provoke strong emotional reactions. Once you know your triggers, you can develop strategies to respond more constructively.
   • Example: Mark realized he became defensive when employees questioned his decisions. By recognizing this pattern, he worked on embracing feedback as an opportunity to learn.
3. Invest in Professional Development
   Attend leadership workshops or work with a coach to explore blind spots and gain new perspectives. Coaches provide a safe space to examine your strengths and growth areas.

The Impact of Self-Aware Leadership

Self-aware leaders inspire loyalty, foster collaboration, and create an environment where everyone thrives. Employees feel valued when their leaders acknowledge mistakes, show empathy, and adapt their approach to meet the needs of the team.

In a small business setting, where leaders often wear many hats, self-awareness is especially critical. It helps leaders build stronger teams, make more thoughtful decisions, and drive long-term success.

Take the Next Step: Work with Terry Porter

Developing self-awareness is a journey—and you don’t have to take it alone. As a certified leadership coach, I specialize in helping small business leaders unlock their potential through increased self-awareness and intentional growth.

Through coaching, you’ll gain:

• A deeper understanding of your strengths and challenges.
• Practical tools to improve communication and team dynamics.
• The confidence to lead with clarity and purpose.

Are you ready to become the self-aware leader your team deserves? Let’s work together to transform your leadership and relationships—both professionally and personally.

📩 Contact me today to schedule a free discovery session. Your growth starts here.

Terry Porter is an Executive Life Coach. Working with clients to clarify and pursue their life dreams.

Terry Porter Coaching
Helping small business leaders and professionals achieve success through self-awareness and growth.