It has become a popular \u2018buzz\u2019 word in management and leadership publications, with claims that is linked to increased performance, emotional intelligence and effective leadership; and it is often perceived to be a critical component in leadership and career success.\u00a0 However, rarely is it defined, and do we really know what it is?\u00a0 I have to admit that it wasn\u2019t until I started researching the concept did I realise that it is a term and construct that is often confused with self-knowledge and self-consciousness; so, what exactly is it?<\/p>\n
Through a systematic literature review and research, I sought to get to grips with what exactly the construct is and how it differs from self-knowledge and self-consciousness.\u00a0 It is a complex construct complicated by the fact that the individual elements of \u2018self\u2019 and \u2018awareness\u2019 have a multiplicity of definitions.\u00a0 The literature review revealed that the construct is multi-layered made up of several components, which can be divided into intra- and inter-personal elements.\u00a0 The inter-personal elements comprise of those which can be observed by another person and include perception of others and behaviours.\u00a0 This of course means we need to attain feedback from others when we are developing self-awareness.\u00a0 This is fraught with difficulty as we tend to \u2018filter out\u2019 what we may not want to see or hear, so this means that developing self-awareness and knowing that one has developed it accurately is a real challenge.\u00a0 The intra-personal elements include beliefs and values, internal mental state, physiological responses, strengths and weaknesses, motivations and needs.\u00a0 In sum, self-awareness can be defined as:<\/p>\n