The People-Forward Leadership™ Podcast
Episode 2 - Leader Awareness: Cultivating Self-Awareness and Vulnerability
Hello, hello, and welcome to the People-Forward Leadership™ Podcast.
You know, when people think about leadership, the first thing that usually comes to mind is leading others; however, effective leadership truly starts from within. That’s why today, we’re diving into an aspect of the first pillar of People-Forward Leadership™which is what I call Leader Awareness or Self-Leadership.
As we explore leader awareness in this episode, you’ll learn why it’s essential for leading others, practical strategies for uncovering your blind spots, and techniques to manage stress and model self-awareness for your team. But to start that conversation, we’ll start with vulnerability and why it’s necessary to unlock your leadership potential.
So, let’s dive in.
Leader awareness is about gaining a deeper understanding of self, including your values, strengths, gifts, behaviors, and areas for development, especially your blind spots.
However, in order to be self-aware, you have to be comfortable with humility and vulnerability. Brené Brown has fundamentally reshaped how we think about leadership by framing vulnerability not as a weakness but as a core strength that enables leaders to navigate complexity, lead with empathy, and inspire their teams to strive for excellence despite uncertainties. It takes courage to admit that you don’t have all the answers, mainly because most leaders believe that “knowing everything” is a requisite for leadership.
Embracing vulnerability means acknowledging your uncertainties and recognizing past mistakes without harsh self-judgment. And this is important because vulnerability requires “thought” management. And what I mean by that is if you struggle with perfectionism, believe you must always be right, or you believe that being vulnerable means others may take advantage of you, or you believe that being vulnerable isn’t a sign of strength, then you’ll negatively judge yourself when you make an error and you won’t create space for your development. In fact, because leader awareness may unveil things you don’t want to know about yourself, you’ll might avoid the topic altogether.
But vulnerability is not only about a deeper self-awareness; it also means maintaining a sincere desire to learn and grow and acknowledging the need for it. It’s a continual journey. In fact, 90% of problem-solving comes through awareness and the willingness to learn.
Vulnerability is also essential for creating authentic connections because as a leader, when you share your struggles, ask for help, or admit you don’t have all the answers, you’re also modeling authenticity for your peers and your team. This transparency signals to team members that it’s safe to be open, admit mistakes, take risks, and share ideas, fostering a culture of trust and mutual support.
Self-leadership is your internal compass and GPS. And without it and your willingness to be vulnerable, your leadership risks becoming reactive instead of proactive, thoughtless instead of intentional. But when you value continuous learning about yourself, you not only grow personally and professionally but help those around you do the same.
So as you think about vulnerability and authenticity, ask yourself:
When faced with a challenge, do I have the humility to admit I don’t know everything? And more importantly, am I open to learning from my mistakes?
Checking in periodically with a few self-reflective questions will help you build a foundation of authentic leadership.
Other practices you can engage in are:
Reflective Journaling.
This is actually a pretty powerful practice, and it’s one that I admittedly have ignored in the past. I’m sure you’ve heard this suggested as a strategy, but I wonder if you’ve ignored this suggestion the way I have in the past.
The truth is that while self-reflection is crucial for effective leadership, research suggests that many leaders don't engage in it as frequently or deeply as they should. While some may prioritize it, a significant number of leaders struggle to make it a regular practice. Studies suggests that self-reflection is often overlooked or underutilized mostly because a large percentage of leaders overestimate their self-awareness, when in fact only a small minority truly possess a deep level of self-awareness.
Admit it: Are you a leader who has overlooked or underutilized self-reflective journalling? If so, no worries; there’s always an opportunity to get started. Dedicate a few minutes each day to write down your thoughts. Reflect on questions like, ‘What did I do well? Where did I face challenges?’ More importantly, note the moments when you allowed yourself to be vulnerable—when you admitted uncertainty or learned from a mistake. This simple practice can reveal patterns in your behavior and help you understand your natural pre-programmed and learned reactions.
Another tool you can use is 360° Feedback.
Now you don’t have to engage in a formal 360 process to get the feedback you need. You can simply solicit honest feedback from peers, mentors, and even your team on areas you’ve identified for growth. This feedback can be incredibly eye-opening, shining a light on both your strengths and blind spots that you can’t see on your own. In fact, creating a feedback loop culture can make this feel like common practice. But remember to engage in thought management so you can embrace any feedback you receive with vulnerability, knowing it’s an opportunity to improve rather than a critique of your worth.
Creating a practice of mindfulness can also be very helpful in not only managing stress, but gaining a deeper awareness of self.
The National Wellness Institute defines mindfulness as a “conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential.” The skills of mindfulness requires presence (the ability to attend to the here and now), attention (focusing with intention), attitude (meaning developing qualities of non-judgement, curiosity, and kindness), and emotional regulation (the ability to manage your emotions and not be triggered by things or people around you), which is something very challenging for people to do.
As a leadership coach and business owner, I recently took an advanced class on mindfulness because I needed to create more moments of quiet and peace in my day for my own physical health and well-being. I have to admit it was initially challenging because I don’t do well with stillness or being present. My mind is always racing toward what’s next. But after I examined the barriers that prevented me from forming a practice of mindfulness and learned way to overcome them, I figured out how to be more present and intentional in the moment.
Mindfulness helps to prevent stress and burnout, and I can attest to that personally. Practices like meditation, reading, deep breathing exercises, or even taking short walks can help you develop a practice of mindfulness while managing stress, remaining present, regulating your emotions, and limiting overwhelm. And you’ll be surprised how developing mindfulness will support your resilience and set a powerful example for your team.
These practices are really designed to help you become more self-aware so that you can be honest with yourself about what’s working and what isn’t. And with that knowledge, you’ll hopefully fuel your desire to learn and grow.
Now I also want to say something about assessments as a tool for deeper self-awareness. Some people love them and others believe they’re a waste of time. And as a leader you’ve probably taken a few over the years. But how much have you leveraged them to support your personal growth? And did you understand how to efficiently use them in every aspect of your leadership development?
Probably not. In my experience, I’ve worked with leaders who have taken a lot of assessments as if they were collectibles, but when asked how they’ve incorporated them into their day-to-day operations, they often don’t have a good answer.
Now one of my favorite assessments is the Maxwell DISC Behavioral Analysis. There are several different types of DISC assessments out there, but this is the ONLY one that provides information about your behaviors at three levels: natural, adaptive, and applied. In addition, it gives you an in-depth analysis of your behavioral, work, strengths, and communication styles. As a student of Jungian psychology during my doctoral studies, I’m quite familiar with the theory behind most personality and behavioral assessments and how to use them properly. In fact, I found this one so effective that I got certified in the method last year.
Many assessments out there are based on Carl Jung’s work who was a psychoanalyst studying the unconscious, but DISC was designed by William Marston, who was a behaviorist psychologist and studied normal human emotions. As a side note, William Marston also created the lie detector and the comic Wonder Woman.
Now, for those who aren’t familiar, DISC is a model that categorizes behaviors into four main styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliant.
Using DISC can help you understand your own communication style and how you lead and interact with others. For example, if you’re high in Dominance, you might be decisive and direct. If you lean more toward Influence, you likely thrive on interpersonal relationships and enthusiasm. By understanding your DISC profile, you gain critical insights into your strengths and the areas where you might need to adapt—especially when working with a diverse, multi-generational team.
The beauty of DISC is that it encourages you to be vulnerable by acknowledging that no one style is perfect. It’s an invitation to recognize that while you have natural strengths, you also have opportunities to grow. This self-awareness lays the groundwork for a leadership style that is both effective and empathetic.
So hopefully in this episode you’ve gained some insight on the importance of leader awareness and why it’s instrumental to becoming an effective people-forward leader. I’ve also supplied you with a few strategies and tools that can help in this effort. But before we wrap up, I want to give you a simple exercise that incorporates much of what I talked about in this episode, to increase your self-awareness and vulnerability.
+ At the end of each day, carve out just five minutes in a quiet space.
+ Reflect on one specific moment when you allowed yourself to be vulnerable. This could be a time when you admitted you didn’t know the answer, when you learned from a mistake, or when you sought feedback from someone else.
+ Write down what you learned from that experience and one small change you can make tomorrow.
I would also consider taking the Maxwell DISC assessment, even if you’ve taken a DISC assessment in the past. Most likely, you don’t remember how you scored or have incorporated the findings, so this is a good time to start over. Of course, we can help you with that; just reach out to us. I leave information in the show notes. We’re here to support you in building a self-aware leadership compass that will position you for today’s challenges while preparing you for the future of work.
Remember, self-leadership is the foundation of a resilient, empathetic team culture. When you invest in understanding yourself and embrace vulnerability, authenticity, and continuous learning, you naturally set a positive example for your team. Your commitment to personal growth creates a ripple effect, fostering trust, innovation, and a strong people-first culture.
At Carol Parker Walsh Consulting Group, we’re dedicated to nurturing People-Forward Leadership™. We offer personalized coaching, tailored training programs, and comprehensive 360° feedback systems designed to help you uncover your unique leadership style and drive meaningful change within your organization. If you’re ready to take the next step, reach out to us, and let’s start the process together.
Thank you for tuning into this episode of the People-Forward Leadership™ Podcast. If you found today’s discussion valuable, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with fellow leaders. Until next time, keep leading with authenticity, embrace vulnerability, and always stay people-forward!
