An industry awareness helps you plan products and the direction of your business and how you fit into the big picture.

A market awareness helps you determine what’s needed, what people will buy, and what you should work on.

An awareness of your team help you determine how to make requests, how to motivate others to action, and what can (and can’t) be done within a certain timeframe.

Knowledge of yourself ties this all together.

Your quirks and idiosyncrasies and motivations and habits (good and bad) color the tone of your interactions and deals and the culture fostered within your organization.

If you’re not aware of how you’re perceived and how your decisions impact others, how can you lead? And if you haven’t taken the time to learn these things, why even bother?