đź“ť usncan Note: Why Self-Awareness Is The Top Leadership Skill In The AI Era
Disclaimer: This content has been prepared based on currently trending topics to increase your awareness.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
UNSPLASH.COM
Soft skills get a bad rap. Author and Wharton professor Adam Grant has even called the term “soft skills” a tragic misbranding. As he told the World Economic Forum, the phrase originated with the U.S. Army. In the 1960s, they were classifying soldier skills into two broad categories: “hard” skills requiring metal, like machines, guns, or tanks, and “soft” skills, meaning everything else. The latter weren’t secondary—they were still essential. But unfortunately, the word soft came to imply weak, and over time, these skills were undervalued.
But in today’s world, they matter more than ever. Self-awareness, in particular, will define the next generation of great leaders. As the world changes at an accelerating pace and AI continues to reshape the workplace, leaders need self-knowledge: a clear sense of who they are, what they stand for, and how that translates into action.
As CEO of my company, I’ve seen firsthand how staying rooted in my values, knowing my strengths, confronting blind spots, and being mindful of my impact on others has helped shape our culture and our brand. I’d like to think it’s sharpened our competitive edge, even against tech giants with far bigger budgets.
Here are some strategies that have worked for me that leaders can use to develop and maintain this crucial soft skill.
Authenticity With Boundaries
“Authenticity” has become one of today’s biggest leadership buzzwords. We hear that younger generations value it above all else—that they prefer raw honesty over polished messaging and perfectly curated grids. Being yourself is paramount, regardless of the cost.
But too much of anything can be harmful, and authenticity is no exception. When leaders don’t self-regulate—when they overshare—it can undermine their authority and create instability. Imagine a CEO telling employees during a security issue that they’ve been up for two nights straight, terrified the company might collapse. Unless the threat is truly legitimate, it’s probably better to keep those thoughts under wraps and avoid inciting widespread panic. Some conversations are better for a trusted advisor or therapist, not the entire staff.
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, author of Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead), cautions against too much authenticity. Writing for Harvard Business Review, he points to decades of research showing how power often ends up eroding empathy, humility, and self-awareness—the same traits that help leaders rise in the first place. Psychologist Dacher Keltner calls it the “power paradox”: leaders who gain influence through prosocial behaviors often abandon them once they’re in charge.
Today’s obsession with authenticity can compound that issue. Leaders mistake transparency for strength, broadcasting every thought and feeling, and giving short shrift to prosocial qualities like empathy and self-control.
In short: Authenticity needs boundaries. It requires the kind of self-awareness gained through reflection. Before speaking, take a moment to pause, gain composure, and consider the impact of your words on your colleagues. Leadership isn’t about saying everything you feel in the moment, but rather, making sure what you say serves the team, the mission, and the moment.
Develop Daily Rituals For Introspection
Author Joan Didion once remarked, “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking…” For anyone with a daily journaling habit, this resonates.
It’s easy to move through life on cruise control, rarely pausing for introspection—to understand what’s happening inside us, how we’re feeling, and how those emotions translate into our behaviors. Writing offers a reliable way to tune into our internal state. Leaders who understand their inner selves—feelings, struggles, biases, and all—are better equipped to lead. Research even shows that leaders with greater self-awareness are perceived as more effective.
A daily writing ritual can help you gain that deeper understanding. For me, morning pages have been a way to silence the barrage of everyday noise and listen to my own voice.
Julia Cameron, who coined the term in The Artist’s Way, explains:
“Pages are meant to be, simply, the act of moving the hand across the page and writing down whatever comes to mind. Nothing is too petty, too silly, too stupid, or too weird to be included. The morning pages are not supposed to sound smart — although sometimes they might.”
Whether you write in the morning or at night, the key is to find a quiet place, sit down with your notebook or device, and simply write. Don’t worry about what you want to say or how it sounds. Don’t erase or edit. Just write whatever comes to mind.
Occasionally, I stumble upon a great idea. When that happens, I copy it into a separate document to revisit later. But most of the time, I delete everything at the end of the session. Because the goal isn’t to create a record—it’s to move thoughts and feelings from internal to external. Afterward, I feel lighter, clearer, and better prepared to face the day—and my team.
Final Thoughts
I often champion automation and AI tools because they free us from tedious, manual tasks and create space for work only humans can do—like reflection and leading with empathy. It might sound counterintuitive, but investing in technology can help you build the soft skills and self-awareness that will ultimately define you and your organization.
