Leading from the Inside Out: How Self-Awareness Transforms Teams
Before you can lead others, you must learn to lead yourself, and that begins with self-awareness.
In today’s evolving business landscape, self-awareness is not just a soft skill—it’s a strategic advantage. For C-suite executives and senior leaders, understanding your inner world—your strengths, blind spots, emotional triggers, and communication tendencies—is the foundation for how you show up in every professional relationship, and how you lead from the inside out. It has a measurable impact on performance, trust, and team culture.
Why EQ is the New Executive IQ
While many leaders rely on intelligence or experience to guide their decisions, research shows that IQ accounts for only 10–25% of success. The rest? It comes down to your EQ—your emotional intelligence. EQ is what helps leaders inspire, influence, and innovate from a place of clarity, connection, and confidence.
Self-awareness is the foundation for developing your EQ. It’s what fuels intentional transformation, leading to your “IT Factor”—the conscious alignment of who you are, with who you are meant to be.
The IT Factor Starts Within
I believe that anyone can have the “IT Factor.” It’s not magic, and it’s certainly not luck. It’s something you build by connecting your physical, mental, and relational self. The third pillar of intentional transformation—relational self—is where your confidence, presence, authenticity, and influence converge.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about perfection. It’s about ownership. When you know who you are and embrace your imperfections, your leadership becomes more magnetic, human, and trustworthy. As I often share with clients, “Sometimes being IMperfect is more perfect—because you are being your best, authentic self.”
Here’s how self-aware leaders lead from the inside out—and transform teams in the process:
1. Authenticity Is Your Leadership Superpower
Authenticity means aligning your behavior with your values. When you’re honest about your strengths, your areas for growth, and your emotions, you create psychological safety for your teams. This fosters innovation, collaboration, and a culture of high performance.
Quick distinction: Authenticity is living your truth. Vulnerability is sharing it with those who’ve earned your trust.
2. Clarity Builds Confidence and Trust
Confusion is the enemy of confidence. When leaders communicate clearly—whether in expectations, feedback, or vision—they cultivate influence. Learn to listen deeply, respond thoughtfully, and articulate with intention.
Clarity isn’t about overexplaining. It's about focusing on what truly matters and leaving no space for confusion or misinterpretation.
3. Feedback Is Fuel, Not Failure
Self-aware leaders embrace feedback as a tool for growth. When you model reflection and coachability, your team follows suit. They naturally mirror your behaviors. This ripple effect drives performance, accountability, and continual improvement at every level of the organization.
4. Presence Starts with Inner Alignment
What executive presence really comes down to is congruence—when your inner world aligns with your outer expression. That’s when people lean in. That’s when you become a force for influence. And that’s when your team feels compelled to follow. This is where the “IT Factor” lives. And it starts with your willingness to do the inner work.
5. EQ Is a Trust Multiplier
As leadership becomes more human-centric, leaders with high EQ gain a distinct edge. They respond rather than react. They empathize without enabling. And they build cultures where people feel seen, heard, and empowered to contribute at their highest level.
As theorist Howard Gardner once said, “Your EQ is the level of your ability to understand other people, what motivates them, and how to work cooperatively with them.”
The Bottom Line:
Self-awareness isn’t a buzzword—it’s a business imperative. And for leaders who want to drive meaningful transformation, developing your emotional intelligence and owning your presence is the first step.
Want to go deeper? Explore how Intentional Transformation and the IT Factor can elevate your leadership, your team, and your company. Visit lizbrunner.com for my full list of offerings or click here to schedule a Presence Office Hour.
If you enjoyed this blog post, here are some other resources you might enjoy:
My book, "Dare To Own You: Taking Your Authenticity and Dreams Into Your Next Chapter": The winner of two Feathered Quill Book awards, and an Book Excellence award, and recommended by Forbes in 2022 as “a teaching memoir”.
My podcast, the "Live Your Best Life with Liz Brunner" podcast: An award-winning and internationally streamed show that highlights powerful stories of re-creation and reinvention from guests who have taken their life experiences, and used that knowledge to create their “next chapters” and live their best lives.
My work as a keynote speaker, executive coach and communication expert. You can read more about more of my services here.
Interested in Taking Yourself or Your Executive Team to the Next Level?
Brunner Communications assists high-profile individuals and organizations in sharpening and developing top level business communication, executive presence, and public speaking skills. Our passionate team provides one-on-one executive business coaching, and runs specialized business workshops. Through customized training, clients learn the necessary skills to become great communicators and build a marketable reputation.