The Learning + Performance Podcast

22 - Charles "Evan" Smith on Self-Awareness for Learning, Performance, and Change

Jul 24, 2025
Charles Evan Smith, a seasoned coach and change architect, dives into the importance of self-awareness in personal and organizational transformation. He highlights how most people overestimate their self-awareness and discusses the critical blind spots that hinder performance. Evan shares strategies to foster deeper awareness, such as using curiosity-led questions and behavior tracking. He emphasizes the impact of leaders engaging in 'learning out loud' to energize their teams and reveals fundamental habits that support sustained performance.
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ADVICE

Seek Candid Feedback Regularly

  • Actively seek candid feedback to counter the echo chamber that grows with seniority.
  • Ask trusted colleagues direct questions about your impact and listen without defensiveness.
INSIGHT

Avoid Binary Decisions

  • Quick, binary decisions fail more often because leaders default to the first option under time pressure.
  • Adding even one more alternative dramatically reduces decision failure rates.
ADVICE

Model Learning Out Loud

  • Model learning out loud as a leader by voicing uncertainty and experimenting publicly.
  • Show vulnerability to energize teams and normalize iterative change.
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