Self-Awareness and Leader Effectiveness

What is self-awareness? According to Goleman and other leadership & organizational development theorists it involves the ability:

• to 'locate' ones self in relationship to all others and all other things;
• to determine (discern) the 'reality' of the relationship (current reality, culturally expected reality (norms), and the desired reality (self-determined, moral, ethical, rightly-related reality/relationship);
• to discern the emotional, psychological 'reality' of others (EI, SI).

Here's a great Case Study: the New Testament disciple-follower, Peter. Jesus asked who do others say I am? He followed that question then with 'Who do YOU say I am?" Jesus was examining Peter's leadership in the context of self-awareness. In essence he was asking: What do you know about what the 'others' believe and how does that 'relationship' influence/impact Your own belief system and/or behaviors? Who do you believe I am and who are you in 'light of that realization/reality/revelation/relationship? This is the essence of leadership: relationship. Knowing oneself in light of those relationships is vital to remaining authentic as a leader - to maintaining one's integrity with humility. Relationship is grounded in, strengthened by, leader self-awareness; and relationship is the KEY to leader effectiveness. Lead on!