By Jonathan H. Westover, PhD
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Abstract: This article examines the challenges faced by leaders in managing employees who lack self-awareness, and presents strategies for addressing such issues effectively. It defines self-awareness and its importance for emotional intelligence and organizational functioning. Without insight into their own weaknesses, self-unaware individuals resist feedback, misread social dynamics, and persist in counterproductive behaviors. For leaders, this poses frustrations like resistance to direction, externalization of failures, and reliance on subjectivity over objectivity. If left unchecked, self-unaware "problem players" can damage company culture. The article then recommends research-backed techniques for leaders, such as providing respectful yet direct feedback, leveraging 360-degree reviews, assigning mentors, considering training, establishing behavioral norms, and using positive redirection. It provides examples applying these strategies to scenarios involving a defensive executive, micromanaging director, and abrasive engineer. With nuanced leadership focused on personal growth and encouragement, even those low in self-awareness can be developed.
In any organization, leaders will inevitably encounter team members or colleagues who lack self-awareness. Self-unaware individuals may fail to acknowledge their own weaknesses, mistakes, inappropriate behaviors, poor choices, or developmental areas that could benefit from improvement. They are unable to step back and objectively evaluate their own contributions, skills, shortcomings, and impacts on others. For leaders, working effectively with self-unaware people presents unique challenges that require nuanced strategies.
Today we will explore how the research on self-awareness and emotional intelligence relates to leadership in organizational settings.
Understanding Self-Awareness and Its Importance
Self-awareness refers to the ability to accurately perceive one's own personality, including strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivations, and emotions. Research in psychology and management identifies it as a key component of emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1995). Self-aware individuals can recognize how their feelings affect them in various situations. They understand the influence of their personal biases and see themselves objectively (Bennis, 1989).
Lack of self-awareness hinders both individual and organizational effectiveness in several ways:
Self-unaware people are inflexible. Without insight into their limitations or defaults, they cannot adapt their approach when current methods prove ineffective. They resist feedback aimed at growth.
They misread social/team dynamics. Poor intuition about how they come across and their impact on others breeds misunderstandings and damaged rapport.
Unchecked behaviors persist. Self-unawareness prevents modification of counterproductive habits that undermine workplace culture or productivity.
Implications for Leadership and Management
For leaders, self-unaware team members pose unique frustrations and pitfalls:
Resistance to direction. Without insight into their own blind spots, the self-unaware resist instruction, even constructive criticism intended to maximize their contribution.
Misattributed setbacks. Lack of self-reflection prompts them to externalize failures rather than own responsibility. This damages morale and fosters unproductive infighting.
Subjectivity over objectivity. In major decisions like reorganizations, self-unaware managers rely on their limited perspective rather than systematically gathering diverse viewpoints and data.
Vulnerability to derailment. Absent self-knowledge, even high performers risk career-ending lapses in judgment due to unresolved personal or interpersonal weaknesses.
Toxic coworker dynamics. When left unchecked, self-unaware "problem players" can sow division, undermine team cohesion and poison the workplace culture over time through abrasive behaviors.
Clearly, an effective leader must address performance or conduct issues stemming from low self-awareness, while upholding productivity and positive work relationships. The following strategies can help navigate this challenge.
Practical Techniques for Leaders
Provide Calibrated Feedback: Do so respectfully but directly in private, focusing on behaviors versus personalities. Cite examples factually without accusation. Suggest specific steps for improvement, giving the self-unaware person ownership over the solution rather than imposed mandates. Periodically follow up to acknowledge progress made as a positive reinforcement.
Leverage Multi-Rater Feedback: Tools like 360-degree reviews aggregate input from colleagues at various levels, giving a fuller portrait less prone to blind spots. Explain the tool's purpose constructively rather than punitively. Have the self-unaware individual debrief the confidential results one-on-one with a coach versus allowing them to process alone.
Assign Mentors: Pairing self-unaware high potentials with seasoned mentors provides an trusted ally to confidentially work through challenges while maintaining career momentum. Mandate joint check-ins to ensure continued growth versus backsliding into default behaviors.
Consider Training: Suggest voluntary workshops developing self-awareness and interpersonal skills when performance reviews reveal its need. Emphasize interest in the individual's maximum contribution versus disciplining shortcomings. Frame this as an opportunity rather than a remediation.
Establish Clear Behavioral Norms: While respecting diversity, define the “rules of engagement” for constructive debates void of personal attacks or disrespect. Normalize ownership of mistakes versus defensiveness as a cultural expectation. Enforce these norms consistently for all to foster accountability and reinforcement of appropriate interactions.
Use Positive Redirection: With self-unaware individuals prone to counterproductive behaviors like verbal aggression or blaming others, leaders can interrupt in the moment by respectfully changing the subject or proposing to "table this discussion and revisit when tempers have cooled." Give them space to decompress privately before reengaging.
Case Studies and Application
These strategies directly address real-world scenarios leaders may face:
Sales VP Prone to Defensiveness - Following disappointing quarterly results, the Sales VP rejects data-driven suggestions for tactical adjustments, insisting external factors alone caused underperformance. The leader initiates a confidential 360 review emphasizing self-improvement over fault-finding. Debrief sessions with an executive coach help the VP acknowledge areas of weakness like rigidity and develop an action plan including coaching junior sales reps.
Micromanaging Director - A director's exacting obsessiveness over process minutiae frustrates direct reports and impedes workflow. The leader reminds the director of their talented team's capabilities while establishing clear responsibilities. One-on-ones focus conversation on behavioral adjustments like delegating more decision-making. The director is also encouraged to participate in a workshop developing trust and empowerment competencies.
Abrasive Engineer - A senior engineer's confrontational communication style damages office camaraderie and productivity over time. The manager addresses this respectfully but candidly, requests a facetime "check-in," and establishes standards prohibiting personal attacks or disrespect even during intense debates. The engineer commits to learning techniques for voicing disagreements constructively versus derisively, with the leader periodically offering encouragement on progress made.
Conclusion
Lack of self-awareness imposes obstacles, but with patience and the right strategies, leaders can effectively manage self-unaware individuals in the workplace. While not disregarding the importance of performance and adherence to cultural values, emphasizing respect, personal growth, and ongoing encouragement of small positive changes represents the most constructive approach. Taking time to understand different perspectives, provide candid yet supportive feedback, and foster accountability through methods like multi-rater reviews equips people lacking insight to maximize their contribution over the long-term for individual and organizational benefit. With nuanced leadership, even those challenged by low self-knowledge can be developed into high-functioning, collaborative team members.
References
Bennis, W. (1989). Why leaders can’t lead: The unconscious conspiracy continues. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Working with Self-Unaware Individuals: Practical Strategies for Organizational Leaders. Human Capital Leadership Review, 13(2). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.13.2.1
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