WHY A SELF-AWARE LEADER IS A GOOD LEADER

Leaders need to be self-aware before they can become effective. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Throughout most of his life, Ed felt lucky. Now in his mid-forties, he feels as though his work and personal lives are collapsing. And that, to risk cliché, his luck has run out.

- Ed Rankin

Ed is Ed Blaine, and he works as the logistics manager for a large, local moving company. On the company's organization chart, Blaine is two rungs below the president and founder of the company. He works with five colleagues who are peers and with whom he is not close. Until the last few months, Blaine got to work early and left late. He worked hard to be noticed. He worked hard to contribute to the organization. Lately, he has begun to feel he is being overlooked for a promotion or pay reward. Soon he started leaving early as well.

His annoyance spilled into his marriage. His wife became frustrated and angry over his behavior with the kids, which was dismissive.

Blaine recently skimmed a book on employee coaching. He wasn't quite sure what led him to pick it up; he just did. The book made the following points, namely that:

• Employee coaching is essential

• It needs to be ongoing Coaching should be participatory

• It should be led by outsiders with little knowledge of the organization

• There is a difference between being coached and being self aware

All of these rang true to Blaine, especially the part about being self-aware. So he took the concept to management. Nothing. Weeks passed, then months.