How to Begin Deepening Self-Awareness Today

🌟 Episode Synopsis

We all like to believe we’re self-aware—but what if we’re not as clear-eyed as we think? In this episode of The Learning and Performance Podcast, I sit down with Charles Evan Smith (known to most as Evan), a seasoned coach, consultant, and change architect, to explore why self-awareness is the hidden foundation for personal and organizational transformation.

With more than 25 years of experience helping Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations, Evan brings a rare blend of systems thinking, neuroscience, and deep empathy to his work. Together, we discuss why self-awareness is so rare (spoiler: 90% of people think they have it, but only 10% actually do), how blind spots can derail performance, and what leaders can do to foster change from the inside out.

You’ll hear stories of organizational turnarounds, powerful coaching questions like "And what else?", and research that shows how behavior monitoring can spark real growth. Whether you’re a leader, coach, or simply someone striving to grow, this episode is packed with insights and practical tools to help you raise your own self-awareness and make meaningful change.

👤 About the Guest

Charles Evan Smith is a coach, consultant, and facilitator with more than two decades of experience helping individuals, teams, and organizations navigate meaningful change. As the founder of Metamorphosis Management Group, Evan partners with leaders to translate self-awareness into measurable business results and lasting personal growth.

He also works with Box of Crayons to deliver curiosity-led leadership programs and with Empactful Advisors to align leadership, culture, and performance. Certified in tools like the Leadership Circle Profile and ICF Team Coaching, Evan brings a unique combination of systems thinking, behavior change theory, and deep empathy for the human side of work.

• Website: metaMG.com

• What self-awareness is and why it’s the foundation for personal and organizational change

• The surprising gap between perceived and actual self-awareness

• How leaders can model “learning out loud” to energize change

• The neuroscience of habits and why patterns are hard to change

• Tools and practices for cultivating self-awareness, from feedback loops to habit trackers

• Common barriers to self-awareness and why it’s often dismissed as a soft skill

• Practical ways to deepen your own self-awareness and apply it to learning and performance
  

🛠️ Tools and Practices Mentioned

• The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier

• Leadership Circle 360 

• RallyBright Team Assessment

• Habit tracking and journaling

• Read the full transcript here

📚 Learn More – Further Resources

• Insight by Tasha Eurich

• Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

• The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier

• What You Don’t Know About Making Decisions (HBR) by David Garvin

• Amy Edmondson on Psychological Safety

• Hawthorne Effect
  

🎧 Related Episodes

• Jon Walker on Self-Compassion for Learning, Performance, and Joy (#21)

• Nicole L’Etoile on Accessibility and Inclusive Design (#20)

• Amy Edmondson on Psychological Safety in Teams (#9)
  

📬 Connect with Pat

Looking to elevate your own learning and performance? I (Pat Healy) help individuals and organizations learn faster and perform better through coaching, consulting, and learning design.

• Website: patrickjhealy.com

• Email: pat@patrickjhealy.com

• LinkedIn: Patrick Healy

Connect with me and let’s explore how we can improve your learning and performance today!