What do you think?
Rate this book
Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly
Great leaders don’t just see the path ahead—they see themselves clearly first; mastering self-awareness is the difference between thriving at the top and blindly leading toward failure.
Great leaders aren’t just skilled strategists—they’re deeply self-aware. In The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly, Les Csorba, reveals how identifying blind spots and having the courage to address them can determine the success or failure of a leader and their organization. Drawing from decades of experience as a Partner with Heidrick & Struggles, the worldwide recruiting and leadership consulting firm advising top executives and Fortune 500 corporate boards—and his time serving as Special Assistant to the President in the White House —Les shares how self-awareness, paired with bold action, separates exceptional leaders from those who fall short.
Through real-world examples, exclusive interviews with some of world’s top CEOs, and practical strategies, this book provides a roadmap for leaders to turn blind spots into strengths and build organizations that thrive. As Les argues, “what you are aware of, you can control; what you are unaware of controls you.” Whether in leadership or relationships, readers will take
Blind spots can make or break a leader—recognizing them is the first step toward lasting success.
Courage is key—self-awareness alone isn’t enough; leaders must actively address their weaknesses. How self-awareness can turn strengths into superpowers. Organizations reflect their leaders—a self-aware leader builds a stronger, more resilient company. From the White House to the boardroom, Les reveals a behind the scenes perspective from an American Headhunter and brings a wealth of leadership insight making this book an essential read for executives, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking to lead with clarity, confidence, and impact.
Great leaders aren’t just skilled strategists—they’re deeply self-aware. In The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly, Les Csorba, reveals how identifying blind spots and having the courage to address them can determine the success or failure of a leader and their organization. Drawing from decades of experience as a Partner with Heidrick & Struggles, the worldwide recruiting and leadership consulting firm advising top executives and Fortune 500 corporate boards—and his time serving as Special Assistant to the President in the White House —Les shares how self-awareness, paired with bold action, separates exceptional leaders from those who fall short.
Through real-world examples, exclusive interviews with some of world’s top CEOs, and practical strategies, this book provides a roadmap for leaders to turn blind spots into strengths and build organizations that thrive. As Les argues, “what you are aware of, you can control; what you are unaware of controls you.” Whether in leadership or relationships, readers will take
Blind spots can make or break a leader—recognizing them is the first step toward lasting success.
Courage is key—self-awareness alone isn’t enough; leaders must actively address their weaknesses. How self-awareness can turn strengths into superpowers. Organizations reflect their leaders—a self-aware leader builds a stronger, more resilient company. From the White House to the boardroom, Les reveals a behind the scenes perspective from an American Headhunter and brings a wealth of leadership insight making this book an essential read for executives, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking to lead with clarity, confidence, and impact.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published August 19, 2025
16 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 25, 2025
Items of Note:
* What you are aware of, you can control. What you are unaware of controls you.
* Instead of chasing greatness, pursue goodness, and greatness will come.
* The best leaders have incredible self-belief without self-absorption.
* What you are aware of, you can control. What you are unaware of controls you.
* Instead of chasing greatness, pursue goodness, and greatness will come.
* The best leaders have incredible self-belief without self-absorption.
Read
October 17, 2025In "Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly", Les Csorba explores how true leadership begins not with authority or charisma but with an unflinching understanding of oneself. The paradox of power, he argues, is that the higher a leader rises, the less likely they are to hear honest feedback. Subordinates start laughing louder at their jokes and praising their decisions more readily, creating an illusion of infallibility. Over time, this distortion blinds leaders to their weaknesses and misjudgments, leaving them vulnerable to costly mistakes and organizational dysfunction. Csorba’s central claim is simple yet profound: self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership. Without it, success becomes unsustainable, cultures turn toxic, and leaders risk becoming the very obstacle to progress they once set out to overcome.
The book opens with a vivid example of how small acts of self-correction can transform leadership. A CEO of a massive energy company, despite being accomplished and intelligent, realized that his introverted nature made him seem unapproachable to employees. To change that perception, he removed all the chairs from his office, forcing himself to interact face-to-face instead of retreating into solitude. This seemingly trivial modification became a daily reminder to practice the behaviors that challenged him most. Such stories illustrate Csorba’s belief that great leaders are those willing to look inward, confront their discomfort, and take deliberate action to grow. They recognize that the greatest barriers to excellence rarely lie in markets or competitors but within themselves.
Self-awareness, however, is not automatic. Csorba uses an old Japanese proverb to describe three 'faces' each person carries: the public face shown to the world, the private one revealed only to close friends and family, and the hidden face known to no one - not even to oneself. That hidden self, made up of denied motives, fears, and habits, holds the key to personal transformation. Leaders who avoid examining this inner territory often become trapped by it. Csorba recounts the story of an executive who, during a leadership assessment, was told he came across as controlling. Instead of reflecting on the feedback, he argued for an hour, inadvertently confirming the criticism. He lost the promotion, but more importantly, he exposed how blindness to feedback can sabotage one’s potential.
These 'blind spots,' Csorba notes, are every leader’s Achilles’ heel. Just as drivers have zones they can’t see without mirrors, leaders have psychological blind spots that hide crucial truths about their behavior and decisions. The danger grows with seniority: the higher one climbs, the fewer people are willing to speak candidly. When subordinates fear the consequences of honesty, silence takes root, and unexamined habits ripple through the organization. Csorba uses the fall of Lehman Brothers as an example. CEO Richard Fuld was warned repeatedly about the firm’s risky mortgage exposure but dismissed all caution. His inability to reassess his assumptions led to catastrophic failure, showing how blindness at the top can cascade downward, endangering thousands.
To prevent such outcomes, Csorba provides a practical 'toolkit' for cultivating awareness. The first tool is structured external feedback. A 360-degree review gathers insights from superiors, peers, and subordinates, offering a panoramic view of how one’s leadership actually lands. One executive, for instance, believed she was efficient and direct; her team, however, found her approach intimidating. Once she learned this, she consciously began softening her communication and acknowledging contributions. Another powerful mechanism is mentoring - seeking guidance from experienced outsiders who can give objective perspectives free from internal politics. Similarly, peer advisory groups can function as accountability circles, providing honest dialogue and continual reflection.
Yet external data is not enough; internal reflection must follow. Csorba encourages daily journaling guided by questions such as, 'What assumptions did I make today that might be wrong?' and 'How did my behavior affect others?' Such focused writing reveals recurring patterns and triggers. A complementary technique is the 'weekly decision review,' where leaders revisit key choices and interactions to understand what drove them. One manager discovered through this exercise that his instinct to fix every problem immediately was preventing him from listening deeply. Once he learned to pause and truly hear his team, trust soared. Mindfulness completes the trio of tools. By cultivating awareness in real time - observing thoughts and emotions without judgment - leaders can intervene before unhelpful reactions take over.
Csorba extends the principle of self-awareness from individuals to entire organizations. He argues that self-aware companies, like self-aware people, are adaptive, resilient, and innovative. A case study of a botched remote-work rollout demonstrates how leadership teams often plan for success but fail to imagine failure. Scenario planning, he suggests, helps leaders confront uncomfortable possibilities and test assumptions before reality does it for them. Equally important is perspective-taking - deliberately seeing decisions through the eyes of others, from new hires to long-time employees, from customers to investors. When leaders empathize with different viewpoints, hidden biases surface and smarter strategies emerge.
Creating a self-aware culture requires modeling vulnerability from the top. When leaders openly discuss their growth goals and acknowledge mistakes, they signal that learning matters more than perfection. This fosters psychological safety, where employees feel free to speak candidly without fear of reprisal. Honest feedback then becomes a collective norm rather than a rare act of courage. Csorba advises replacing punitive attitudes toward error with curiosity. After-action reviews - systematic debriefs after both successes and failures - should become routine, reinforcing the idea that every outcome is an opportunity to learn. In such environments, humility and truth-telling replace defensiveness, giving organizations the agility to thrive amid uncertainty.
Ultimately, self-awareness is not just about exposing flaws; it’s also about discovering and amplifying strengths. Csorba describes this as finding one’s 'superpower' - the unique combination of talents that define a leader at their best. Steve Jobs and Tim Cook exemplify this contrast. Jobs’ superpower was creative vision and obsessive perfectionism; Cook’s was operational precision and consistency. Each led Apple successfully, but in completely different ways. Great leadership, Csorba writes, is not imitation - it’s alignment between self-knowledge and action. By identifying and nurturing their authentic gifts, leaders can shape organizations that reflect their strengths while compensating for their weaknesses through capable teams.
Developing this superpower involves three deliberate steps. First, identify it through feedback and reflection, recognizing that what feels natural to you may in fact be extraordinary to others. Second, invest focused energy in honing it - delegate or streamline tasks that dilute your attention so you can spend more time where you create the most value. Third, remove obstacles that prevent you from operating in your zone of excellence, whether that means re-structuring your schedule, redesigning meetings, or building teams with complementary skills. When leaders function from their strengths, their effectiveness compounds, and their confidence inspires others to do the same.
Throughout "Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly", Csorba insists that leadership is not a quest for flawlessness but for honesty. The most destructive leaders are those who cannot face themselves; the most inspiring are those who continuously refine their understanding of who they are and how they affect others. Cultivating awareness is not a one-time achievement but a lifelong discipline - one that blends humility, courage, and deliberate practice.
In the end, Csorba’s message is both sobering and hopeful. The greatest threats to a leader’s success are rarely external forces but the unexamined assumptions and behaviors that lurk within. Yet the tools to confront them are always available: structured feedback, reflective habits, mindful presence, and the willingness to listen - especially when it’s uncomfortable. By embracing these disciplines, leaders can transform blind spots into breakthroughs and self-knowledge into strategic power. Above all, they learn that awareness itself is the catalyst for growth. As "Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly" makes clear, the journey to exceptional leadership begins and ends with the courage to look in the mirror and truly see.
The book opens with a vivid example of how small acts of self-correction can transform leadership. A CEO of a massive energy company, despite being accomplished and intelligent, realized that his introverted nature made him seem unapproachable to employees. To change that perception, he removed all the chairs from his office, forcing himself to interact face-to-face instead of retreating into solitude. This seemingly trivial modification became a daily reminder to practice the behaviors that challenged him most. Such stories illustrate Csorba’s belief that great leaders are those willing to look inward, confront their discomfort, and take deliberate action to grow. They recognize that the greatest barriers to excellence rarely lie in markets or competitors but within themselves.
Self-awareness, however, is not automatic. Csorba uses an old Japanese proverb to describe three 'faces' each person carries: the public face shown to the world, the private one revealed only to close friends and family, and the hidden face known to no one - not even to oneself. That hidden self, made up of denied motives, fears, and habits, holds the key to personal transformation. Leaders who avoid examining this inner territory often become trapped by it. Csorba recounts the story of an executive who, during a leadership assessment, was told he came across as controlling. Instead of reflecting on the feedback, he argued for an hour, inadvertently confirming the criticism. He lost the promotion, but more importantly, he exposed how blindness to feedback can sabotage one’s potential.
These 'blind spots,' Csorba notes, are every leader’s Achilles’ heel. Just as drivers have zones they can’t see without mirrors, leaders have psychological blind spots that hide crucial truths about their behavior and decisions. The danger grows with seniority: the higher one climbs, the fewer people are willing to speak candidly. When subordinates fear the consequences of honesty, silence takes root, and unexamined habits ripple through the organization. Csorba uses the fall of Lehman Brothers as an example. CEO Richard Fuld was warned repeatedly about the firm’s risky mortgage exposure but dismissed all caution. His inability to reassess his assumptions led to catastrophic failure, showing how blindness at the top can cascade downward, endangering thousands.
To prevent such outcomes, Csorba provides a practical 'toolkit' for cultivating awareness. The first tool is structured external feedback. A 360-degree review gathers insights from superiors, peers, and subordinates, offering a panoramic view of how one’s leadership actually lands. One executive, for instance, believed she was efficient and direct; her team, however, found her approach intimidating. Once she learned this, she consciously began softening her communication and acknowledging contributions. Another powerful mechanism is mentoring - seeking guidance from experienced outsiders who can give objective perspectives free from internal politics. Similarly, peer advisory groups can function as accountability circles, providing honest dialogue and continual reflection.
Yet external data is not enough; internal reflection must follow. Csorba encourages daily journaling guided by questions such as, 'What assumptions did I make today that might be wrong?' and 'How did my behavior affect others?' Such focused writing reveals recurring patterns and triggers. A complementary technique is the 'weekly decision review,' where leaders revisit key choices and interactions to understand what drove them. One manager discovered through this exercise that his instinct to fix every problem immediately was preventing him from listening deeply. Once he learned to pause and truly hear his team, trust soared. Mindfulness completes the trio of tools. By cultivating awareness in real time - observing thoughts and emotions without judgment - leaders can intervene before unhelpful reactions take over.
Csorba extends the principle of self-awareness from individuals to entire organizations. He argues that self-aware companies, like self-aware people, are adaptive, resilient, and innovative. A case study of a botched remote-work rollout demonstrates how leadership teams often plan for success but fail to imagine failure. Scenario planning, he suggests, helps leaders confront uncomfortable possibilities and test assumptions before reality does it for them. Equally important is perspective-taking - deliberately seeing decisions through the eyes of others, from new hires to long-time employees, from customers to investors. When leaders empathize with different viewpoints, hidden biases surface and smarter strategies emerge.
Creating a self-aware culture requires modeling vulnerability from the top. When leaders openly discuss their growth goals and acknowledge mistakes, they signal that learning matters more than perfection. This fosters psychological safety, where employees feel free to speak candidly without fear of reprisal. Honest feedback then becomes a collective norm rather than a rare act of courage. Csorba advises replacing punitive attitudes toward error with curiosity. After-action reviews - systematic debriefs after both successes and failures - should become routine, reinforcing the idea that every outcome is an opportunity to learn. In such environments, humility and truth-telling replace defensiveness, giving organizations the agility to thrive amid uncertainty.
Ultimately, self-awareness is not just about exposing flaws; it’s also about discovering and amplifying strengths. Csorba describes this as finding one’s 'superpower' - the unique combination of talents that define a leader at their best. Steve Jobs and Tim Cook exemplify this contrast. Jobs’ superpower was creative vision and obsessive perfectionism; Cook’s was operational precision and consistency. Each led Apple successfully, but in completely different ways. Great leadership, Csorba writes, is not imitation - it’s alignment between self-knowledge and action. By identifying and nurturing their authentic gifts, leaders can shape organizations that reflect their strengths while compensating for their weaknesses through capable teams.
Developing this superpower involves three deliberate steps. First, identify it through feedback and reflection, recognizing that what feels natural to you may in fact be extraordinary to others. Second, invest focused energy in honing it - delegate or streamline tasks that dilute your attention so you can spend more time where you create the most value. Third, remove obstacles that prevent you from operating in your zone of excellence, whether that means re-structuring your schedule, redesigning meetings, or building teams with complementary skills. When leaders function from their strengths, their effectiveness compounds, and their confidence inspires others to do the same.
Throughout "Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly", Csorba insists that leadership is not a quest for flawlessness but for honesty. The most destructive leaders are those who cannot face themselves; the most inspiring are those who continuously refine their understanding of who they are and how they affect others. Cultivating awareness is not a one-time achievement but a lifelong discipline - one that blends humility, courage, and deliberate practice.
In the end, Csorba’s message is both sobering and hopeful. The greatest threats to a leader’s success are rarely external forces but the unexamined assumptions and behaviors that lurk within. Yet the tools to confront them are always available: structured feedback, reflective habits, mindful presence, and the willingness to listen - especially when it’s uncomfortable. By embracing these disciplines, leaders can transform blind spots into breakthroughs and self-knowledge into strategic power. Above all, they learn that awareness itself is the catalyst for growth. As "Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly" makes clear, the journey to exceptional leadership begins and ends with the courage to look in the mirror and truly see.
October 17, 2025
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)
Your greatest career blocker isn’t “out there”—it’s the part of yourself you won’t look at.
Executive Summary
In Aware, Les Csorba argues that leadership breakthroughs begin with humble solicitation, radical self-honesty, and disciplined reflection. He reframes self-awareness as a two-part operating system: see what’s true and lean hard into what makes you uniquely valuable. Csorba challenges leaders to replace defensiveness with curiosity, turn feedback into a habit, and double down on their distinctive strengths while shedding the rest. The result: fewer blind spots, sharper judgment, and the courage to act on what’s real.
Review
Csorba’s central premise lands with precision: most derailers are internal, and the higher your title, the more insulated you become from honest feedback. That isolation makes deliberate feedback systems—360s, mentoring circles, and peer groups—essential. His detailed yet clearly explained framework blends introspection with action: journaling, decision reviews, and stakeholder mapping to pressure-test assumptions and surface hidden risks. The writing is concise but resonant, and the playbook is tailored for leaders who crave actionable clarity, not platitudes.
TL;DR
⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Well written with a critical main concept, but its application was pedestrian.
Read this if you’re a rising manager, senior executive, or leadership coach who needs a practical guide to seeing yourself clearly, hearing hard truths, and turning self-awareness into a strategic edge.
Your greatest career blocker isn’t “out there”—it’s the part of yourself you won’t look at.
Executive Summary
In Aware, Les Csorba argues that leadership breakthroughs begin with humble solicitation, radical self-honesty, and disciplined reflection. He reframes self-awareness as a two-part operating system: see what’s true and lean hard into what makes you uniquely valuable. Csorba challenges leaders to replace defensiveness with curiosity, turn feedback into a habit, and double down on their distinctive strengths while shedding the rest. The result: fewer blind spots, sharper judgment, and the courage to act on what’s real.
Review
Csorba’s central premise lands with precision: most derailers are internal, and the higher your title, the more insulated you become from honest feedback. That isolation makes deliberate feedback systems—360s, mentoring circles, and peer groups—essential. His detailed yet clearly explained framework blends introspection with action: journaling, decision reviews, and stakeholder mapping to pressure-test assumptions and surface hidden risks. The writing is concise but resonant, and the playbook is tailored for leaders who crave actionable clarity, not platitudes.
TL;DR
⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Well written with a critical main concept, but its application was pedestrian.
Read this if you’re a rising manager, senior executive, or leadership coach who needs a practical guide to seeing yourself clearly, hearing hard truths, and turning self-awareness into a strategic edge.
September 10, 2025
95% of people think they are self aware. Studies show that only 15% of people are objectively self aware. This book examines this fascinating topic and disconnect, and I think anyone who’s interested in any form of self improvement, psychology, or business and leadership would enjoy this book and take something away from it. Personally I will be taking away that data point, as well as the mantra “self belief without self absorption”.
The content is rich but highly consumable, a great blend of studies and data intertwined author’s business and personal experiences. It is an addictive read despite being non-fiction.
The content is rich but highly consumable, a great blend of studies and data intertwined author’s business and personal experiences. It is an addictive read despite being non-fiction.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews