Gaining insight, transforming leadership

As leaders, we often believe we know ourselves fairly well, but the truth is, we can only see part of the picture. There’s a lot about how we lead that’s visible to others but hidden to us. And while this can feel uncomfortable at first, expanding your knowledge of self brings huge benefits for you and your team. 

When you start to uncover what you don’t know about yourself, you unlock the potential to lead more effectively, communicate more clearly and build stronger, more authentic relationships. This deeper understanding of yourself gives you greater confidence and clarity, allowing you to navigate challenges with ease and make decisions from a place of authenticity. 

The power of knowing yourself better 

When you understand how you show up as a leader, you can identify your strengths, manage your blind spots and use your unique qualities to your advantage; it’s a real super-power! It helps you recognise when you’re in a reactive mode versus a proactive one, which is essential for making thoughtful decisions, fostering collaboration and responding to challenges in a calm, clear-headed way. 

This knowledge also helps you grow and evolve in your leadership role. Having a better grasp of your personal values, triggers and motivations allows you to lead with more empathy (for yourself as well as for others) and effectiveness. You can tune into your team’s needs more intuitively, support others with greater insight and model a healthy approach to self-reflection and growth. 

How feedback plays a role in expanding your self-knowledge 

One of the quickest ways to expand what you know about yourself is by seeking feedback from others. When we ask trusted colleagues, mentors or team members for their perspective, we begin to see ourselves from angles we might have never considered before. 

But asking for feedback isn’t always easy. It can bring up a lot of internal resistance, particularly from our ever-helpful inner judge. The Judge is that critical voice inside that holds us to high standards, focuses on what’s “wrong” with us, and can often make receiving feedback feel like a personal attack. 

Know your inner judge, how it reacts to feedback and how to manage it 

When we receive feedback, especially constructive criticism, the inner judge tends to react defensively. It might whisper, “You’re not good enough,” or “This is proof you’re failing as a leader.” This reaction can cloud our ability to hear the feedback clearly and prevents us from learning and growing from the experience. 

If left unchecked, the inner judge can create a cycle where we close ourselves off from feedback altogether, thinking it will only reinforce our insecurities. But in truth, this is the very thing that holds us back. The more we let our inner judge dominate, the less room we make for growth. We get stuck in a loop of self-doubt and avoidance. 

So, what can we do? 

• Acknowledge the judge: Recognising that this voice is part of being human (and not a reflection of our true worth) helps us gain some distance from it. 

• Reframe feedback: Instead of viewing it as a criticism, try to see it as an opportunity to gain insight that will help you grow. 

• Take a growth mindset approach: Remind yourself that feedback is a gift, no matter how it’s delivered. Embrace it as a chance to learn something new about yourself and refine your leadership practice. 

How to start expanding your knowledge of self 

The great news is that expanding your knowledge of self doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Start small and be intentional. Here are some practical steps you can take: 

1. Ask for feedback: Regularly seek feedback from those around you, especially on areas that you’re not sure about. You could try asking specific questions like, “What’s one thing I do that helps you in our work together?” or “What’s something I could do more/less of to support the team?” 

2. Engage in self-reflection: Take time to reflect on your own leadership; your strengths, challenges, values and motivations. What gets you excited about leading? What are your core principles? What parts of your leadership style are most effective and where might you have room to grow? 

3. Try something new: Step outside your comfort zone. Experiment with new approaches to leadership. That might be trying a different communication style, a new strategy for problem-solving or a way of interacting with your team. Notice what works, what feels awkward, and what you learn from the experience. Sharing this with your team will also help them to feel free to take risks and build a culture of trust.  

Expanding your knowledge, lightening the leadership load 

The more you expand your knowledge of self, the more you can lead with ease, authenticity and confidence. You’ll find that leadership becomes less about fire-fighting and managing problems and more about leveraging your unique strengths and qualities. Most importantly, when you understand yourself more fully, you open up the possibility for deeper connection, greater impact and a more fulfilling leadership experience.