“Be authentic” gets tossed around like corporate kale, which is good for you but hard to chew. I get it. Even as a leadership coach, I worry it lands as a motherhood statement.

Self-awareness is like the secret sauce of leadership—it adds flavour, depth, and balance to everything you do. Without it, you're basically just hoping your team doesn’t notice when you're stressed out or making weird decisions. When you're self-aware, you know your strengths, your blind spots, and even those little quirks that might make people raise an eyebrow. And the best part? It makes you a better leader and a more relatable human being.