Skip to Content

Excelling as a leader: Self-awareness

Get smart ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 
McKinsey & Company
The McKinsey Publishing Guide to excelling as a leader
The McKinsey Publishing Guide to excelling as a leader

Email 3 of 7

Hone a clear, honest view of yourself

In the previous session, we looked at ways to make better, bolder decisions. In this third email, we’ll explore how to hone the critical, yet often underemphasized, leadership skill of self-awareness. The best leaders see themselves clearly, warts and all. They also know how others see them, and understand how that may impact corner-office culture. Want to get a better view of yourself? Start with these insights.

Self-awareness is a critical leadership skill—but it’s not something you just wake up with one day. Many of the best leaders have honed their self-awareness through a two-pronged approach. The first step is personal: leaders should look deeply inward and develop strategies to work through personal roadblocks. The other path involves inviting, honestly assessing, and implementing feedback from others.

Cultivating what McKinsey authors Aaron De Smet, Jacqueline Brassey, and Michiel Kruyt call deliberate calm can help leaders sail through volatile times. Self-awareness is a critical element to deliberate calm, says De Smet, along with situational awareness, emotional self-regulation, and emotional intelligence.

Get started cultivating your self-awareness with these five steps.

This email contains information about McKinsey’s research, insights, services, or events. By opening our emails or clicking on links, you agree to our use of cookies and web tracking technology. For more information on how we use and protect your information, please review our privacy policy.

You received this email because you subscribed to “The McKinsey Publishing Guide to excelling as a leader.”

Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe

Copyright © 2025 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007


by "McKinsey Publishing Guides" <publishing@email.mckinsey.com> - 03:30 - 17 Jun 2025