In this episode of Right About Now with Ryan Alford, we explore one of the most underrated superpowers in business and leadership — self-awareness. Host Ryan Alford sits down with Les Csorba, author of "Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly", to uncover how understanding yourself can unlock better decision-making, stronger relationships, and more effective leadership.

Drawing from his experiences working with leaders like George H.W. Bush, Jamie Dimon, Elon Musk, and Warren Buffett, Les shares powerful lessons on how the world’s most impactful leaders balance confidence with humility and empathy with accountability. The conversation dives deep into what sets self-aware leaders apart — and how you can develop those same traits.

Les also discusses the growing crisis of self-awareness in today’s world, how people-pleasing undermines leadership, and why empathy, when misunderstood, can sometimes hurt performance. Whether you’re leading a company, managing a team, or simply striving for personal growth, this episode offers actionable tools to help you see yourself — and lead others — more clearly.

🎧 You’ll learn:

Why self-awareness is the foundation of great leadership
Traits that define highly self-aware leaders
Insights from working with George H.W. Bush, Jamie Dimon, Elon Musk, and Warren Buffett
The dangers of people-pleasing in modern leadership
How to balance empathy and accountability
The fine line between confidence and arrogance
Common leadership blind spots and how to overcome them
How self-awareness impacts business outcomes and relationships
Resources and tools for improving self-awareness, including Les’s Self-Awareness Scorecard

If you want to grow as a leader, elevate your emotional intelligence, and build teams that thrive on trust and clarity, this episode is a must-watch.

🕒 TIMESTAMPS

00:00:00 - Introduction to the Episode
00:01:03 - AI and SurveyMonkey Ad
00:01:25 - Traits of Self-Aware Leaders
00:01:41 - Podcast Introduction and Host Welcome
00:02:07 - The Importance of Self-Awareness
00:02:48 - Historical and Current Self-Awareness
00:03:08 - Working with U.S. Presidents
00:03:50 - Jamie Dimon’s Ongoing Growth
00:04:34 - Empathy and Leadership
00:05:13 - Confidence vs. Arrogance
00:05:34 - Jamie Dimon’s Defining Moment
00:06:24 - Common Leadership Blind Spots
00:07:22 - People-Pleasing in Modern Culture
00:07:38 - Workplace Culture and Accountability
00:08:14 - People-First Culture: Pros and Cons
00:08:34 - Self-Awareness of Elon Musk and Warren Buffett
00:09:09 - Optimism and Leadership Risks
00:09:54 - Musk’s Motivations and Buffett’s Humility
00:10:53 - Modern Leadership and Political Divides
00:11:15 - Research on Self-Aware Leaders
00:12:11 - Book Availability and Resources
00:12:34 - Closing Remarks and Outro

🎥 Watch now to learn how to develop the mindset and awareness that define great leaders.
👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes of Right About Now with Ryan Alford, where today’s top thinkers and innovators share insights that inspire action and growth.

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