The Mirror Moment - Part 1

In this issue…

• The Mirror Moment - Part 1: Why the Best Leaders Start with Themselves - by Audra Stevenson

• Extra Insights: Do Your Business Practices Inspire Loyalty? - from Garrett Wilson, CEO of Pay Insights & David Rice, DDS (YouTube)

• Weekly Motivation Boost: The Simple Way To Inspire Your Team - with David Burkus (YouTube)

• Action for the Week: Prioritize Meaningful Connections

• Together with an HR Professional Newsletter: “I Hate It Here” - a safe space for jaded HR/Operations professionals who need a little inspiration

🎯 EXPERT OF THE WEEK

The Mirror Moment - Part 1: Why the Best Leaders Start with Themselves

By Audra Stevenson

You can’t lead others well until you’re willing to look in the mirror first.

For leaders, there’s often little time for reflection after the high-speed, high-stakes energy in today’s market. Metrics matter. Stakeholders demand results. Rapid shifts in the market require confident, timely decisions.

But amid the pressures of performance, one vital truth often gets overlooked: True, sustainable leadership doesn’t begin with strategy. It begins with self-awareness.

The Trap of External Blame

It’s human nature to point outward when things go wrong. Maybe the team missed the mark. Maybe the systems are broken. Maybe your direct reports just “aren’t the right fit.” And sometimes, that’s true.

But when the same challenges show up team after team, role after role, quarter after quarter - it’s time to ask a more difficult question:

What am I contributing to the problem?

That question marks a turning point. A leadership reckoning.

That’s the Mirror Moment. It’s the point when a leader stops managing symptoms and starts looking inward. Not to self-blame, but to own the influence they have on every dynamic around them.

The Hidden Cost of Blind Spots

The higher up you go, the more likely it is that you’re insulated from real feedback. People hesitate to speak up. You may start believing your own narratives, especially the flattering ones.

But here’s the risk: Leaders with the most authority often have the biggest blind spots.

According to a study by Zenger and Folkman (2024), CEOs who rated themselves significantly higher than their teams did in areas like emotional intelligence, communication and team development were often leading organizations with lower employee engagement and higher turnover. Their findings show that executive blind spots—gaps between how leaders see themselves and how others experience them—pose a significant threat to organizational culture and performance.

In other words, when leaders lack self-awareness, performance suffers. Culture suffers. People suffer. Here’s what that can look like:

• A culture of fear, masked as “urgency”

• High turnover explained away as “not everyone’s a fit”

• Silence mistaken for alignment

• Low morale written off as lack of work ethic

People don’t leave companies - they leave cultures shaped by unaccountable leadership.

The Mirror Is a Tool - Not a Weapon 

This isn’t about shame. It’s about self-leadership. Great leaders aren’t perfect. But they are willing to reflect, adapt, and grow. They understand that self-awareness is a competitive advantage. It allows them to:

• Spot reactive patterns before they spiral

• Make clearer, values-aligned decisions

• Create environments where ownership is safe

• Model humility, consistency, and growth

In most offices where psychological safety and engagement are directly tied to leadership behavior, self-awareness isn’t optional. It’s essential.

A Leader’s Responsibility 

Leadership isn’t just about vision. It’s about vibration: the culture you set, the energy you carry, the tone you create.

If you want your team to take ownership, collaborate and innovate, they need to see you doing the same. That begins not with a strategy session, but with a mirror. While it can feel vulnerable to look inward first, it’s also incredibly freeing. You stop trying to control people, and instead start leading them.

Coming Next: Turning Reflection Into Action

Reflection is powerful - but it’s only the beginning. In Part 2 of this series, we’ll dive into how to turn self-awareness into real, lasting impact. We’ll talk about how coaching can accelerate growth, why discomfort is a sign of progress and how to shift your habits from reaction to reflection. Because once you step into the mirror, real leadership begins.

Zenger, J., & Folkman, J. (2024). New Insights To Become an Extraordinary Leader (ebook). Zenger Folkman. https://zengerfolkman.com/ebooks/the-new-extraordinary-leader-25-insights-ebook/

💡EXTRA INSIGHTS

Do Your Business Practices Inspire Loyalty?

From Garrett Wilson, CEO of Pay Insights & David Rice, DDS (YouTube)

8.5-Minute Watch

🏅WEEKLY MOTIVATION BOOST

The Simple Way To Inspire Your Team - by David Burkus (YouTube)

11-minute watch

🏃🏽‍♀️Action for the Week

Prioritize Meaningful Connections

In your next meeting, take a moment to check in—not just on tasks, but on how people are really doing. Use informal moments before calls or passing conversations to ask about workload or energy levels. Even a short, thoughtful exchange can build trust when it’s sincere.

These connections are a leadership advantage. When people on your teams feel seen and supported, they’re more likely to engage, stay committed and go above and beyond. Trust is built in those small moments, and leaders who invest in those moments create teams that perform better and stay stronger through challenges.

💎 TOGETHER WITH “I HATE IT HERE” FOR HR PROFESSIONALS

The Secret Weapon for HR

The best HR advice comes from those in the trenches. That’s what this is: real-world HR insights delivered in a newsletter from Hebba Youssef, a Chief People Officer who’s been there. Practical, real strategies with a dash of humor. Because HR shouldn’t be thankless—and you shouldn’t be alone in it.

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