One year of ‘You Are Not As Self-Aware As You Think You Are’ and a new home for my work

When I published my book a year ago, I wanted to challenge how we think about self-awareness: what it actually means, how it develops and why it matters.

Twelve months on, I’m even more convinced that self-awareness is one of the most misunderstood ideas in leadership and coaching. It isn’t something we measure, achieve and tick off a list. The moment you think you have arrived, you have not.

To celebrate the anniversary, today I’m launching my new website:
carden-consulting.co.uk.

This new home brings together my previous Carden Consulting and book websites in one place, reflecting how my research, coaching, supervision, teaching and writing inform one another.

Self-awareness is an ongoing process of understanding ourselves, questioning our assumptions and staying open to what we don’t yet see. In a world increasingly shaped by AI, uncertainty and complex challenges, I believe we need more self-connection, not less. How can we genuinely connect with others if we don’t understand ourselves?

Whether you’re a leader looking to develop your self-awareness, a coach wanting to deepen your practice, or an organisation exploring how self-awareness can strengthen leadership and development, you’ll find more about my book, work, research, latest thinking and ways to work together on this new website.

The past year has brought opportunities to explore these topics with coaches, leaders and organisations, including speaking at conferences, joining podcasts, teaching at Henley Business School and continuing my research. I’ve also continued developing my own self-awareness through coaching, coaching supervision and painting.

Thank you to everyone who has read the book, shared a conversation, invited me to speak or challenged my thinking. I’m particularly grateful to Barefoot Coaching, NHS Elect Conference, the Association for Coaching, EMCC UK, Reading Coaching Group, The Courageous Coach, Knowing Self, Knowing Others and Influence & Impact for Leaders for opportunities to share my research. Thank you, too, to Karen Foy, my partner in the Finding and Claiming Your Inner Diamond programme, and to everyone who took part in my Self-Awareness Lab for Coaches. The next Lab will be in April 2027.

These conversations and so many others have reinforced my belief that self-awareness is not a destination: it’s something we keep returning to, in ourselves and in our relationships with others.

If you’re interested in exploring self-awareness through a keynote, podcast conversation, article or working with me, I’d love to connect. And if you haven’t read the book yet, I’m offering 20% off until 30 November - send me a message and I’ll share the discount code.

I look forward to continuing the conversation and hearing from you as you explore your own self-awareness journey.