Corner Office: Good Leaders Know People — Including Oneself

Leaders who lack self-awareness are blind, constantly bumping into things because they do not see them. They have a terrible time navigating their jobs because they do not realize the impact they have on others.

We might believe ourselves to be approachable; however, we often underestimate the chilling effect of title and status in large organizations. As leaders, we must acknowledge that the higher we are elevated in leadership, the louder our voices are. That can be a great benefit when we want something accomplished; we can use our position to influence people in positive ways. However, a CEO's whisper can sound deafening and have unintended consequences. I am always amazed that I can make a comment in a meeting about something that should be done — input, not direction — and find out later that whole task forces were formed just because I made an offhand mention.