Why Self-Awareness Isn’t Enough — And What to Do Instead
Dec 08, 2025A lot of leaders tell me they’re self-aware.
And on the surface, that might be true. They know their strengths. They’ve done the 360 feedback. They can point to what sets them off.
But when I ask,
“What were you thinking about 30 seconds ago?”
—most go quiet.
Here’s the difference:
Self-awareness is reflection. Metacognition is observation in real time.
That’s the real game changer.
Leaders who are just aware look back on what happened:
“I tend to get defensive in high-stakes meetings.”
Leaders with metacognition see it as it’s happening:
“I’m feeling defensive right now. Why?”
One gives you insight.
The other gives you choice.
If You Want to Lead Differently, Start Here:
Try this simple practice over the next two weeks:
Set 3 random alarms on your phone every day.
When they go off, pause and ask yourself:
-
What was I just thinking?
-
What emotion am I feeling?
-
What action urge do I notice?
You’ll start spotting patterns before they hijack important moments.
And that’s when real change happens—not by fixing every behaviour, but by becoming skilled at catching them before they run the show.
This is the work I do every day with leaders—especially those ready to move past imposter syndrome, reactive leadership, and surface-level self-awareness.
Ready to Think Differently So You Can Lead Differently?
If you're tired of being stuck in the same loops, and you're ready to do the real work of leadership, I can help.
You’ll learn how to lead with clarity, manage pressure better, and make decisions with more confidence and calm.
The change starts with how you think—so let’s start there.
Looking to shift how your team shows up?
Check out Elephant in the Room — our signature training programme for teams ready to build trust, speak honestly, and perform at a higher level.
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