In this episode, we discuss self-awareness in leadership and why it becomes important when old ways of leading no longer work. We talk about how founders can get stuck doing too much themselves and how that can affect alignment, focus, and team performance. We also look at the question of “Who am I being?” as a way to notice reactive or unfocused behaviors that may hold a leader back. We share a personal example from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to show how recognizing unhelpful traits can lead to more consistency, discipline, and intention, and we close by encouraging listeners to think about the kind of leader they need to become.

Episode Highlights & Timestamps

0:11 Self-Awareness in Leadership
2:18 The Hero Complex Trap
4:07 Who Are You Being?
5:47 Lessons From Jiu Jitsu
7:58 Becoming a Better Leader

What You’ll Learn

• Why self-awareness is essential for effective leadership and business growth.
• How the habits that helped you succeed can eventually hold you back.
• How the “hero complex” can keep founders too involved in the day-to-day.
• The importance of asking, “Who am I being that is getting in the way of what I want?”
• How to identify the qualities you need to develop to become the leader your company needs.

When the Way You Lead Stops Working

Many of the leaders Gene works with are highly successful, ambitious, and driven. Those qualities helped them get where they are today.

But eventually, what worked before may stop working.

Gene compares this to the phrase, “It dies slowly, and then all at once.” Just as relationships can gradually deteriorate before reaching a breaking point, leadership can go through a similar transition.

The way you used to lead slowly stops working—and eventually, the problem becomes impossible to ignore.

You might hear a founder say:

“When my team was smaller, everyone was aligned. They were hungry and driven. Now they aren’t.”

It’s easy to blame the employees. But self-aware leadership requires a different question:

How are you showing up as a leader to create the environment you want?

As companies grow, founders often get so focused on the work, goals, and results that they forget their most important responsibility is to build and lead a team.

The Hero Complex Trap

One of the biggest obstacles Gene sees in founders is what he calls the hero complex.

Leaders can begin to believe they need to carry everything themselves:

• Making every important decision
• Fighting every fire
• Closing the next big deal
• Creating the next big innovation
• Solving every problem
• Being the person everyone depends on

Being the hero feels good. It feels valuable.

But there is a limit.

If you want to build a small business where you are the hero, that’s a choice you can make. But if your goal is to scale, create freedom, build a legacy, or eventually exit your company, remaining at the center of everything will eventually become a constraint.

Gene has worked with founders who have sold their companies for millions, leaders who are building businesses they never intend to sell, and entrepreneurs who want to eventually pass their companies on to their children or successors.

Regardless of the destination, the leadership transformation begins with the same thing:

Self-awareness.

The Question Every Leader Should Ask: “Who Am I Being?”

If you want to transform as a leader, you have to be willing to look honestly at yourself.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask is:

Who am I being that is getting in the way of what I want?

And another:

Who am I being that is keeping me from becoming the leader I know I need to be?

These questions aren’t about identifying the best parts of your leadership. They’re designed to shine a light into the shadows.

Final Thought

“Who are you being that is getting in the way of what you want?”

Self-aware leadership gives you the opportunity to look honestly at what’s holding you back and decide who you need to become next.

Resources & Next Steps

Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level?
Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com and getfounderfreedom.com
to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team’s performance.

🌐 Explore More: training.coreelevation.com
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