Leadership Series (Series 2): Self-Awareness — The Foundation of Effective Leadership
- Jason Lu
- Apr 6, 2022
- 4 min read
Leadership Series (Series 2): Self-Awareness — The Foundation of Effective Leadership
Introduction
In the previous article, we explored Everyday Leadership and why leadership is not defined by job titles but by influence.
This second article focuses on the core skill that shapes every great leader:
Self-awareness — understanding yourself before you lead others.
Self-awareness helps you recognize your emotions, strengths, weaknesses, values, and blind spots.
Without this foundation, leadership development becomes unstable and reactive.
With it, you make clearer decisions, build trust faster, and grow more intentionally.
What Is Leadership?
Before diving deeper, pause for a moment and reflect:
What makes a good leader?
Write down the qualities you believe matter most.
Here are traits commonly found in effective leaders:
Charisma
Competence
Passion
Vision
Listening
Responsibility
Problem-solving
Positive attitude
Communication
Self-discipline
Relationship-building
But understanding what leadership is not is equally important.
❌ Being a manager
❌ Having authority
❌ Relying on charisma
❌ Speaking the loudest
Leadership is contextual and deeply cultural.
In the United States, leadership is often a cultural melange, requiring adaptability, emotional intelligence, and the ability to work across differences.
What Makes a Good Leader?
A good leader is like a pilot—capable of navigating turbulence while guiding people toward a shared destination.
Beyond IQ or technical skills, great leaders demonstrate high emotional intelligence (EQ).
The Five Components of Emotional Intelligence
Self-awareness — knowing your emotions, strengths, weaknesses, values, goals
Self-regulation — managing impulses and emotional reactions
Motivation — driving yourself and others toward meaningful goals
Empathy — understanding others’ feelings when making decisions
Social skill — building relationships, communicating clearly, resolving conflict
And among all five, self-awareness is the foundation.
What Is Self-Awareness in Leadership?
Self-awareness means understanding:
What you feel
What you value
What motivates or drains you
How you behave under stress
Where your strengths naturally shine
Where your blind spots lie
How your actions impact others
Leaders without self-awareness often repeat mistakes, misread situations, or create unnecessary conflict.
Leaders with strong self-awareness grow more quickly and inspire confidence in others.
Why Self-Awareness Matters for Leaders
1. It improves decision-making in moments of crisis.
A self-aware leader recognizes emotional triggers and avoids reactive choices.
Example:
During my PhD at Cornell, I realized I avoided asking for help because I feared appearing incompetent.
Once I became aware of this pattern, I changed my behavior—and my research, collaboration, and confidence improved dramatically.
2. It helps you understand your impact on others.
Without self-awareness, you might unintentionally create confusion or tension.
Example:
A colleague once told me I communicated with too much technical detail when a simple summary was needed.
Adjusting my communication style helped me collaborate more effectively with cross-functional teams and executives.
3. It helps identify growth opportunities.
Self-aware leaders don’t fear discomfort—they study it.
They ask questions, reflect, and use feedback to grow stronger.
How to Develop Self-Awareness
Below are practical methods leaders across industries rely on:
1. Introspection, Reflection & Meditation
Ask yourself:
Who am I at my best and worst?
What are my strengths?
What are my core values?
How do I learn?
What drains or energizes me?
What do I want to contribute?
Meditation or journaling can help clear mental noise and deepen clarity.
2. Resonance Moments
These are moments when something deeply “clicks”—music, art, nature, conversations.
Example:
One of my undergraduate mentees realized his passion for bioengineering after attending a lecture that resonated with him. That moment shaped his decision to pursue a PhD.
3. Crucible Moments
A crucible moment is a challenging experience that reveals your inner tendencies.
Ask yourself:
What did this experience teach me about who I am?
Would I handle it differently now?
4. Ask for Feedback
Feedback is a mirror others hold up for us.
Ask people you trust:
“How do I show up in meetings?”
“What’s one thing I do well?”
“What’s one thing I could improve?”
This often reveals blind spots we cannot see ourselves.
5. Personality Assessments
Tools like StrengthsFinder, MBTI, Big Five, or Enneagram can offer helpful language for understanding your natural tendencies.
I will discuss personality insights in the next article of this series.
Conclusion
Self-awareness is one of the most valuable milestones in leadership development.
It can be difficult—because it forces us to confront parts of ourselves that feel uncomfortable.
But:
⭐ Leaders who grow the fastest are those who reflect honestly, seek feedback, and embrace learning.
Self-awareness not only leads to better leadership—it leads to a more intentional, resilient, and fulfilling career.
If you find this article helpful, please share it and follow this series to continue your leadership journey.
Want to Accelerate Your Leadership and Career?
If you’re navigating biotech, academia, engineering, or cross-cultural workplaces, I offer 1:1 Career Coaching to help you:
Grow your leadership skills
Improve communication and influence
Navigate U.S. workplace culture
Overcome career plateaus
Strengthen your professional identity
My coaching integrates scientific thinking, leadership frameworks, and real-world career strategy.
From My New Book
My latest book dives deeper into:
Leadership mindset
Career clarity frameworks
Strategic job searching
Communication and influence
Cross-cultural career navigation
If you enjoy this leadership series, you’ll find even more practical tools and insights inside the book.
About the Author
Jason Yen-Chun Lu, Ph.D.
Biomedical scientist, leadership coach, and founder of LuTra Studio and 台灣生醫科學家在美國.
With experience across MIT, Cornell, biotech startups, and cross-functional teams, Jason helps scientists, engineers, and global professionals build influence, grow leadership, and accelerate their careers.
His work bridges science, communication, culture, and strategy.
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