Where Else in Your Life Is This Showing Up?

How Self Awareness Becomes a Leader’s Greatest Advantage

At Rapport Leadership, we believe the most impactful growth starts from within. That is why one of the most powerful anchor questions we use in Leadership Breakthrough One is this:
“Where else in your life is this showing up?”

It is a simple question, but the insight it unlocks is anything but. This prompt encourages leaders to recognize patterns in their behavior and choices across different areas of life. Once those patterns come into view, meaningful and lasting change becomes possible.

Why Self Awareness Matters for Leaders

Leaders who understand themselves lead with more clarity, compassion, and consistency. Self awareness allows leaders to:

• Recognize blind spots

• Improve decision making

• Respond thoughtfully instead of reacting emotionally

• Build stronger relationships with their teams

According to a recent article by IPREX, self awareness is a foundational trait for effective leadership, especially when working with diverse teams and across cultures. The ability to reflect on your own behavior and understand how it influences others creates stronger connections and better results.

Another article from Fast Company emphasizes that self awareness is not a one-time milestone but an ongoing practice. Leaders who develop this skill are more trusted, more effective in high-pressure situations, and more open to feedback.

How the Anchor Helps Leaders Connect the Dots

“Where else in your life is this showing up?” is not just a question. It is a mirror. When leaders are struggling with a challenge at work, this question encourages them to pause and ask:

• Have I seen this reaction before?

• Do I approach similar situations the same way in my personal life?

• Is this pattern helping me or holding me back?

This level of reflection creates breakthrough moments. A habit of interrupting during meetings might be the same pattern that shows up in family conversations. A fear of delegation at work might mirror a reluctance to ask for help at home. Once a leader connects those dots, they gain control over the narrative instead of being controlled by it.

Ways to Practice Self Awareness Daily

1. Start a pattern journal
   Track moments that trigger frustration, discomfort, or self doubt. Reflect on where else those moments might appear in your life.

2. Use the anchor with your team
   Encourage your team members to reflect on their own behaviors. This builds a culture of self awareness and accountability.

3. Ask for outside perspective
   Trusted colleagues, mentors, and even family members can offer insights that help you see what you may not recognize on your own.

4. Practice presence
   Self awareness grows when you slow down and pay attention to your responses in real time.

The Connection to Leadership Breakthrough One

In our Leadership Breakthrough One class, this anchor question is repeated throughout the experience. It becomes part of a leader’s internal language and an everyday tool for growth. By linking classroom insights to real life situations, participants walk away with more than skills. They walk away with transformation.

This anchor also supports one of the core values at Rapport Leadership: personal responsibility. Leaders cannot control everything, but they can always control how they respond. And self awareness is the first step to more powerful responses.

Final Thought

Self awareness is not just about knowing yourself. It is about seeing how your behavior affects the people around you, the outcomes you create, and the culture you lead. When leaders consistently ask, “Where else in your life is this showing up?”, they become more intentional, more empowered, and more effective.

If you are ready to take a deeper look at your leadership and accelerate your personal growth, consider attending Leadership Breakthrough One. The insights you gain may surprise you, and the results can last a lifetime.