099: Self-Aware Leadership with Dr Nia Thomas

On this episode of Soft Skills for Leaders, my guest is Dr Nia Thomas.

Nia discusses the importance of self-awareness in leadership and provides tips and activities to help people reflect and grow in this area.

The conversation covers a range of themes from inclusive decision-making, to managing stress and emotions through meditation.

Nia emphasises the importance of conscious leadership, seeking unfiltered feedback, and developing both hard and soft skills in order to become a self-aware leader.

If you're looking to improve your leadership skills and gain some practical tips and insights, this episode is a must-listen.

Timestamps

[00:03:50] Defining Self-Aware Leadership Through Reflection and Regulation

[00:20:40] Self-awareness hindered by filtered feedback and disconnect

[00:23:50] Unrealistic Expectations and Toxic Leaders Damage Organizations

[00:20:55] Inclusive Decision Making: The Key to Project Success

[00:27:45] Self Awareness is a Never-Ending Journey

[00:28:42] Solo and team activities to grow self-awareness

[00:30:55] Meditation for self-awareness and breathing

[00:31:44] The benefits of video review

[00:33:14] Facilitated 360° review

[00:33:55] Trusted feedback from those you respect

[00:35:00] Three word feedback

[00:36:22] Softs skills for self-aware leadership.

Summary 

Nia Thomas discusses various aspects of self-aware leadership, including solo and team activities for self-awareness, coaching and mentoring, the importance of inclusive decision-making and reflection and feed-forward to improve relational skills, and defining nine traits that make up a self-aware leader.

Talking Points

• Self-awareness as a never-ending journey
• Importance of coaching and mentoring for senior members
• Reading a room and observing behaviours as essential traits of an authentic and effective leader
• Unrealistic expectations in organisations and their effect on employee interest
• Importance of inclusive decision-making and listening skills in bridging the gap of strategic-level disconnect
• Various methods to build self-awareness
• Crises management from the macro to the micro level
• The Impact of bureaucracy and red tape on crisis response
• Psychological safety and the role of leaders in building it
• The Dunning Kruger Effect in developing self-awareness
•  Importance of seeking unfiltered feedback for conscious leadership
• Nine traits that make up a self-aware leader: care, humility, authenticity, reflection, trustworthiness, adaptability, modelling behaviour, listening, and learning from experience

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