Procurement Leadership That Changes Everything: Building Self-Awareness & Emotional Intelligence

A note for Procurement leaders who are ready to elevate their influence, maximise impact...and do it confidently.

Here's a statistic that might surprise you: according to organisational psychologist Tasha Eurich's research, 85% of people believe they're self-aware, but only 10-15% actually are. 

If you're reading this thinking, "I'm pretty self-aware already," you're in good company - most of us feel this way, and Eurich's research backs this up. But the more leaders I work with and the more I develop my own coaching practice, the more I see it as an ongoing exercise that deepens over time. And that practice is what transforms how you lead.

This is why, in my coaching programmes, we focus on building a solid and personalised toolkit that sets you up for long-term success. It's all rooted in self-awareness because your leadership style, triggers, and strengths are uniquely yours.

Even in my coaching role, I'm constantly working on this myself. It keeps me curious rather than judgmental, maintains the partnership approach that makes coaching effective, and reminds me that we're all figuring this out together. When I do notice judgment arising, I've learned to ask myself: "What is it about this situation that's triggering this response in me?".

The Real Work Begins With Looking Inward

Self-awareness starts with honest self-reflection about your responses and triggers. When that supplier misses a critical deadline, when your CFO pushes back on your business case, when a stakeholder questions your recommendation in front of the Executive team - what happens inside you in those moments?

Exceptional leaders might still feel frustrated or defensive in these moments. Cultivating emotional intelligence is not about eradicating the very emotions that make us human. What sets these exceptional leaders apart is how quickly they recognise these reactions and choose their response deliberately.

Building this awareness creates something powerful: space between you and the challenge you're facing. Instead of reacting from emotion, you get to respond from choice. It’s a practice, and working with a coach can help you to embed this new practice with compassion.

Seeing Others Through a Clearer Lens

When you understand your own patterns, you begin to see others differently. That difficult stakeholder who always pushes back, the supplier who seems unreliable, the powerful and loud stakeholder who seems to block Procurement at every turn…you start recognising their unique traits and you are able to choose a more resourceful response, rather than get flooded by frustration.

Even with your own team, this awareness shifts everything. When a team member isn't taking on advice about something you know they need to do, self-awareness helps you pause and consider: maybe your approach needs to change, or perhaps their motivations and needs are different from what you assumed. Instead of pushing harder with the same message, you can explore what's really driving their resistance.

This awareness also helps you navigate the complex power dynamics that are part of every Procurement role. You're often caught between competing interests; senior leadership wanting cost reduction, business units needing quality and service, all while you’re positioning Procurement as a strategic partner.

When you consistently work on your self-awareness, you recognise how power imbalances affect conversations - including your own responses to them. Maybe you notice that you become overly accommodating when speaking to senior executives, or perhaps you get defensive when your expertise is questioned by someone outside of Procurement. You might find yourself being more directive with suppliers than with internal stakeholders, even when the situation doesn't call for it.

Once you see these patterns in yourself, you can start to notice when others feel they need to prove themselves, when they're defensive because they feel vulnerable, or when they're pushing back because they feel their expertise isn't valued. This insight allows you to adjust your approach - not to manipulate, but to create more productive dialogues where everyone can contribute their best thinking.

This shift in perspective is gold for Procurement leaders. You're already skilled at analysing markets and managing risk. When you add the ability to read people and situations with emotional intelligence, your influence multiplies.

Building Resilience Through Observation

When I’m working with senior Procurement leaders on their personal toolkit: they are able to regularly observe both their challenges and wins, and as a result they develop something crucial - resilience. When you're aware of how you navigate difficult moments, you start to see patterns. You recognise what works and what doesn't. This builds confidence for future challenges.

The same applies to celebrating wins. When you understand what you did well - not just the outcome, but how you showed up as a leader - you can replicate that success.

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

Procurement has evolved far beyond cost-cutting. You're strategic partners, risk managers, and change leaders. But technical skills alone won’t influence the behaviours you need to see from your stakeholders.

You may wonder if developing emotional intelligence somehow softens your commercial edge. The opposite is true. When you understand yourself and others better, you don't become less effective in tough negotiations, you become more strategic and more capable of managing your resilience in these challenging moments.

Think about it: when you understand what drives a stakeholder, what concerns keep them up at night, and how they prefer to communicate, you're not compromising your position. You're gathering intelligence that helps you structure better deals and build partnerships that deliver long-term value.

The Procurement leaders who truly influence business outcomes are those who can:

• Navigate complex stakeholder dynamics with confidence
• Build trust quickly, even in challenging situations
• Communicate value in ways that resonate with different audiences
• Lead through uncertainty without losing their team's confidence
• Create win-win outcomes that strengthen supplier relationships

All of these capabilities stem from self-awareness and emotional intelligence working alongside your commercial expertise.

Starting Your Journey

If you're wondering where to begin, start small. Notice your reactions during your next challenging conversation. What do you feel? What thoughts arise? What's your typical response pattern?

There's no judgment here - just observation. Every leader has triggers and blind spots. The ones who grow are simply willing to see them clearly.

Remember, this isn't about perfection. It's about progress. And that progress, over time, becomes the difference between good leadership and exceptional leadership.

How Coaching For Procurement Ltd Can Help

Coaching For Procurement Ltd offers a full suite of coaching solutions designed to empower and support Procurement leaders and their teams; from Procurement team coaching through to ILM qualifications using the unique P.R.O.C.U.R.E® coaching methodology and frameworks, as well as 1:1 coaching. We work together on your inner game at these pivotal moments of your Procurement journey.

If you would like to explore how my coaching programmes can help you to have a greater impact as a Procurement leader, please reach out to find out more: www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/contact-me