A is for Awareness: Slowing Down to Speed Up.

“We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are.” Anaïs Nin

In high-stakes leadership environments, speed is often mistaken for progress. Yet research consistently shows that sustainable performance begins with awareness - of self, others, and system dynamics.

Awareness is not a soft skill; it’s a strategic imperative. In team coaching literature, awareness is linked to improved decision-making, psychological safety, and adaptive leadership (Hackman & Wageman, O'Connor & Cavanagh).

When leaders pause to notice patterns - how meetings unfold, who speaks and who doesn’t, what gets avoided -they unlock the ability to intervene with intention.

Consider this: 

A leadership team we worked with was stuck in reactive firefighting. By introducing structured reflection and mapping their relational dynamics, they uncovered a pattern of over-functioning in some roles and under-engagement in others. The shift wasn’t dramatic - it was deliberate. Within weeks, their strategic focus sharpened, and their energy returned.

Actionable Insight: 

• Build in “pause points” during your week to reflect on what’s driving your decisions and behaviours. This can be especially helpful before meetings.

  
  

• Use validated tools like the Hogan and MHS EQ-i 2.0 to surface blind spots. 

  
  

• Ask your team: “What are we avoiding or haven’t considered?”

Why it matters: Awareness is the gateway to agility. Without it, teams repeat old patterns. With it, they evolve.

Hackman, J. R., & Wageman, R. (2005). A theory of team coaching. Academy of Management Review, 30(2), 269–287.

O'Connor, S., & Cavanagh, M. (2013). The coaching ripple effect: The effects of developmental coaching on wellbeing across organizational networks. Psychology of Well-Being, 3(1), 1–23