A leader should strive for clarity not only about the challenges he faces but about himself, his strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Nate Fick sees “a distinction between self-awareness and self-consciousness.” The latter Fick sees as something to be wary of: a mindset that is focused outward, which can lead to posturing and decisions based on how others will perceive them. But self-awareness, in Fick’s view, is something to develop: an understanding of the forces within oneself that cause one to do or feel certain things as a leader. The mindset is fundamentally introspective.
