The following draws on the McKinsey article by Jacqueline Brassey, Aaron De Smet, and Michiel Kruyt on developing "dual awareness," from their book Deliberate Calm. I also include examples to illustrate each level in a more concrete way.
Developing dual awareness involves cultivating awareness of both our inner emotional state and the external circumstances in our environment. This is the ability to be skilfully aware of our inner world — our thoughts, emotions, beliefs — and the outer world — the situations we find ourselves in and the people we interact with — at the same time.
This awareness is crucial not just for effective leadership but for effective communication across all relationships and interactions in both private and professional life. It is closely connected to the idea of moving from reactive to choiceful responding, which explores the neuroscience of this shift in more detail.
The Five Levels of Dual Awareness
It is important to understand that we are rarely at a single level — more often we are spread across the levels depending on the context, situation, people involved, and our mood in the moment.
Level 1: Unaware
At this level, we react impulsively and emotionally without understanding the reasons behind our reactions. We are unaware of our unproductive patterns and may not notice that our actions contribute to undesirable outcomes.
Level 2: Self-Reflective
We start to recognise our emotional reactions but don't yet understand why. We notice patterns in our behaviour after the fact, but haven't yet identified the root causes.
Level 3: Perceptive
We become aware of the thoughts and emotions driving our reactions in the moment. This allows us to see the connection between our internal state and our external environment.
Level 4: Resilient
We develop techniques to manage our emotional reactions under pressure. When we catch ourselves getting emotional, we take a time-out to pause, calm down, and choose a more productive response.
Level 5: Adaptive
We can quickly recognise and address our emotional reactions without needing to pause or take time-outs. We have internalised new ways of thinking and can respond effectively in the moment, anticipating challenges in advance.
A Practical Example: New Product Launch Facing Obstacles
Level 1: "Why can't this team just get it together? It's not rocket science!" — blaming external factors without examining our own role.
Level 2: After the situation, we reflect and realise our lack of planning may have contributed. We feel angry but don't understand why.
Level 3: As the situation unfolds, we notice our jaw tensing. We think: "I'm getting upset because the delays threaten my reputation as a leader."
Level 4: Before responding emotionally, we take a deep breath and say: "Let's take five minutes and reconvene to discuss potential solutions."
Level 5: Without getting upset, we calmly ask: "What can we learn from these delays, and how can we work together to overcome them?"
The Journey
Developing dual awareness is a dynamic and non-linear process. In general, at lower levels our reactions tend to be impulsive and potentially damaging to relationships. As we progress, we learn to manage our emotions and respond more constructively, focusing on learning and problem-solving rather than blame and frustration.
The key is to practise mindfulness, self-reflection, and resilience techniques to improve our ability to adapt. This kind of inner work is also central to why personal growth is essential for leaders — and to developing the courage to lead from a more grounded place.