Welcome to the 100th and final episode of the Knowing Self, Knowing Others Podcast!

I’m your host, Nia Thomas, and today we’re marking this milestone in self-aware leadership by welcoming a true expert in the field – Dr. Julia Carden. Julia is the founder of Carden Consulting, an executive coach, supervisor, and educator whose work is grounded in her PhD research on self-awareness.

With a career that began as a Royal Naval Officer and evolved through HR and leadership development before she launched her own consultancy, Julia brings a wealth of real-world insights to our conversation.

In this episode, we explore the meaning of self-awareness, pulling apart its complex, ever-evolving nature and exploring the differences between self-awareness, self-knowledge, and self-consciousness. Julia shares fascinating findings from her doctoral research, including why self-awareness is difficult to define, how it develops in leaders and executive coaches, and the importance of reflection and curiosity on this lifelong journey. We also discuss her forthcoming book, “You Are Not as Self Aware as You Think You Are,” which is packed with practical steps for leaders wanting to grow their self-awareness muscle.

Join us as we reflect on three years of conversations about self-aware leadership, celebrate all that we’ve learned, and look ahead to the future of leadership practice.

Whether you’re a seasoned leader or just starting out, this episode will leave you inspired to keep exploring the depths of self-awareness, for the benefit of yourself and those you lead.