One real difference between good and extraordinary leaders? (It's not what you think)
2024’s nearly over, let's cut straight to it.
One of the main differences between good and extraordinary leaders isn't their strategic brilliance or market insight.... it's their self-awareness. Let's finish the year all woo-woo!
According to recent research by Harvard Business Review, leaders who consistently demonstrate curiosity and openness to new ideas are 2.3 times more likely to achieve exceptional business outcomes. That’s 230%!!!
In support of this, a 2024 report by Gallup revealed that only 23% of employees report being fully engaged at work. Their suggested root cause is leaders who lack emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
Exceptional leaders looks like this
They personally embrace confusion: Instead of pretending to have all the answers, they welcome uncertainty as a chance to learn. It's not weakness – it's wisdom.
They understand emotions drive decisions: Research from Canadian psychologists Yip and Côte shows that leaders with high emotional awareness consistently make better decisions in high-stakes situations.
They build champion teams, not teams of champions: They know that a unified B+ team will outperform a disconnected group of A-players every time.
The mistake I made early on in my career was wanting to be the smartest person in the room.
Later I realised, my role was really about creating an environment where smart people can do their best work.
Quick reality check:
70% of leaders rate themselves as inspiring and motivating – only 30% of their employees agree (Gallup, 2024)
Companies with high leadership self-awareness scores outperform their peers by 15% in profitability (McKinsey, 2024)
How do you know if you're on the right track? Answer this:
When was the last time you changed your mind about something important because a team member convinced you?
If you can't remember, we should talk.
Part of my work is in helping founders and CEOs develop the self-awareness and emotional intelligence that turns good leadership into extraordinary company value.
Ready to transform your business? Book a call to chat.
Cheers,
Josh
