Mirrors and Milestones: Unlocking Leadership with Self-Assessment

Claire Monroe

Hey everyone, welcome back to The Science of Leading. I’m Claire Monroe—joined by the voice of reason himself, Edwin Carrington.Okay, Edwin—today’s topic is a big one. We’re digging into self-assessment and how it’s basically the difference between just managing and, like, actually leading.And I’ll admit it—“self-assessment” used to sound kinda... I don’t know, corporate-y to me? Like some checkbox thing.But the more I’ve read, the more I’m realizing—it’s kind of a cheat code. Right?

Edwin Carrington

That’s actually a fair way to put it, Claire.And you’re not alone—people often assume self-assessment is just some fluffy ritual or personality test. But in practice? It’s the backbone of great leadership.The most impactful leaders I’ve worked with—and the ones data consistently points to—they all have this one thing in common: self-awareness.When done well, self-assessment shines a light on how you communicate, how you decide, how you influence. It exposes both strengths and blind spots—especially the ones that hide in plain sight.Harvard Business Review even found that leaders with high self-awareness are more trusted... and their teams actually perform better.So, yeah—it’s not window dressing. It’s foundational.

Claire Monroe

I love that—“shining a light.” That’s... exactly how it felt for me, honestly.So, quick story—when I got my first manager gig, I was so ready to prove myself. We wrapped up this big project, and... yeah. It flopped.And I remember thinking, “Wait—I followed the plan! What went wrong?”Turns out... I had left half the communication in my head. My team was lost, and I didn’t even realize it.That was the moment I stopped treating feedback like an insult and started seeing it as—like—GPS for getting better.And ever since, I’ve kind of been hooked on self-reflection. Not to be perfect, just... to be better. Not busier—better.

Edwin Carrington

That’s a great example. And honestly—it’s something we’ve touched on before, right?Self-awareness is the foundation of trust, of learning, of growth.This—what you just described—is the how.Self-assessment snaps you out of autopilot. Instead of operating from assumptions, you start mapping reality.I tell leaders all the time, “If you’re not confronting your blind spots—they’re confronting you. Quietly. Every single day.”And the leaders who build this into a habit? Lower turnover, higher engagement, stronger teams.But here’s the key: when a manager models self-assessment, they don’t just grow themselves—they shift the entire tone.It tells the team, “Hey—growth is normal here. Feedback isn’t scary—it’s how we roll.”

Claire Monroe

So it’s that shift from reacting to leading with intention.Like—it’s what keeps you from becoming, uh, “Joe.” You know, that guy from the story—the one who blames everyone else and somehow can’t see he’s the common denominator.

Edwin Carrington

Exactly.Self-awareness is the thing that stops a rough patch from turning into a rough career.If you want to inspire... adapt... communicate—frankly, if you just want to stay employable—you’ve got to get comfortable holding that mirror up. Regularly.

Claire Monroe

Okay—so now that we’ve sold everyone on why self-assessment matters... let’s talk about what it actually uncovers.Specifically—your leadership style.I mean, there are like, a million styles, right? Coaching, authoritative, democratic, laissez-faire...I swear, I bounce between three of them before lunch.But the research shows—most of us have a default mode. Like a pattern we fall into. Yeah?

Edwin Carrington

That’s right. And it’s more than just labels.Your style impacts everything—from how you make decisions to whether your team dreads your Monday emails.But here’s the thing: most leaders think they know their style.Then we bring in actual tools—360 feedback, behavioral assessments—and suddenly? The curtain drops.I worked with a CEO once—swore up and down he was this super collaborative “democratic” leader.The data? Said otherwise.Turns out, under pressure, he defaulted to command-and-control. It was stifling his team without him realizing it.

Claire Monroe

Oof. That’s like thinking you’ve been harmonizing, only to find out you’ve been way off-key... for years.It’s the curse of gut instinct, right? You miss the patterns everyone else sees.

Edwin Carrington

Exactly.That’s where tools like OAD’s assessment come in.They don’t just give you a personality profile—they show you what actually shows up in meetings, under stress, in your delegation style.It’s a mirror, but it’s also a map. And once you have that map? You can start adjusting course.You can lead based on what’s real—not just what feels true.

Claire Monroe

And that’s the big unlock, right?The best leaders—they flex. They shift styles when the situation calls for it.But you can’t do that if you don’t know your default.Like—I thought I was super collaborative. But every time things got hectic, I’d go into “just let me handle it” mode.Seeing that... made it real. And once it was real, I could work with it. Not just hope it’d change.

Edwin Carrington

That’s the power of self-insight.And here’s the ripple effect—when you know your own mode, you become more consistent.And that consistency builds trust.Also—when you bring structured assessments into your org, it’s not just one person growing.You build a shared language. Feedback becomes normal. And leadership development stops being abstract—it becomes scalable.That’s how you move from “good contributor” to “leader who creates other leaders.”

Claire Monroe

Okay, I love that. But let’s get real...What trips most people up isn’t learning who they are—it’s actually doing something with that info.Like—Edwin, I’m guessing you’ve seen this.Someone gets their results and goes, “Okay, I need to delegate more...”And then... nothing changes.

Edwin Carrington

Yes—and I’ve seen it a lot.Here’s the truth: Insight without action? That’s just decoration.The leaders who actually grow pick two or three focus areas—let’s say communication, decision-making, delegation—and they make a plan.They don’t just “try harder.”They build SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.And then? They follow through.One exec I coached—we did monthly check-ins for a year.The feedback was tough at first, but he stayed with it. Over time, it didn’t just change his performance—it changed how people talked about him across the company.

Claire Monroe

That part—feedback—is still the hardest for me.I mean, I go through phases. Sometimes I’m all in... and then something hits a nerve, and suddenly I’m like, “Okay, let’s not do that again.”But every single time I lean into it—even when it stings—the growth is... exponential.Especially when there’s mentorship involved.Like someone who’s rooting for you and willing to call you out.

Edwin Carrington

That’s the winning combo: self-assessment plus outside feedback.Because internal honesty is great—but you need that external mirror too.Add in mentorship or peer accountability? Now you’ve got momentum.And even the big blockers—imposter syndrome, resistance to change—they start to loosen up.You’ve got data, you’ve got habits, and you’ve got people in your corner.And that’s when leadership stops being a job title—and becomes a way of showing up. Everywhere.

Claire Monroe

That’s such a hopeful way to think about it.Like—leadership isn’t this mountain you climb once. It’s this winding path, and the more aware you are, the more intentional each step becomes.And you don’t have to do it alone.Honestly, that’s why I love this podcast. It feels like a shared mirror.So—if today gave you something to chew on, or something to try—tell us!And Edwin—thank you, as always, for being the guy who points out the mile markers without making them feel like cliffs.

Edwin Carrington

Always a pleasure, Claire.And for those of you wondering how to start putting this into practice...You can actually test out OAD’s tools—like our behavioral assessments—for free at o-a-d-dot-a-i.It’s one of the easiest ways to improve hiring fit and team alignment—by starting with better self-awareness.

Claire Monroe

So good.Thanks, Edwin.And thank you for listening to The Science of Leading. We’ll see you next time—take care!

Edwin Carrington

Goodbye, Claire. Goodbye everyone.