Identify Your Leadership Blindspots

Key Concepts:

• Self-awareness
• Behavior
• Identity
• Hardwired traits
• Core driver/Engine
• Blind spots
• Leadership effectiveness
• Self-awareness model (six areas)

Self-Awareness Model for Leadership Improvement

The core argument is that in business, despite numerous uncontrollable factors, the most strategic and deliberate area for improvement lies in our own behavior. The single most effective tool for leadership enhancement is increased self-awareness and personal development.

The Six Areas of Self-Awareness

The self-awareness model consists of six areas, visualized as three concentric circles, each representing a different level of accessibility to our awareness.

1. Outer Circle: Accessible Awareness

• Behavior: This is the most readily observable aspect of ourselves. It encompasses our actions, reactions, and interactions with others.
• Identity: This refers to how we perceive ourselves and how we want to be seen by others. It includes our roles, values, and beliefs.

2. Middle Circle: Hardwired Traits

This level represents aspects of ourselves that are more deeply ingrained and less easily changed. These traits are not explicitly defined in the transcript, but the implication is that they are more fundamental aspects of personality and temperament.

3. Inner Circle: Core Driver/Engine

• This is the central element driving all other five areas. It represents the fundamental motivations, needs, and desires that shape our behavior, identity, and hardwired traits. This is the deepest and most influential aspect of self-awareness.

Identifying and Addressing Blind Spots

The model aims to help leaders identify key blind spots – areas where they are unaware of how their behavior impacts their effectiveness. The focus is on making small adjustments ("little tweaks") rather than attempting to completely transform someone's personality. The goal is to help leaders show up more effectively by understanding and addressing these blind spots.

Synthesis/Conclusion

The self-awareness model provides a framework for leaders to understand and improve their effectiveness by focusing on their own behavior. By exploring the six areas of self-awareness – behavior, identity, hardwired traits, and the core driver – leaders can identify blind spots and make small adjustments to enhance their leadership capabilities. The emphasis is on self-improvement and strategic self-awareness as the most controllable and effective tool for leadership development.