How to Recognize and Avoid Leadership Blind Spots

Your leadership journey can certainly be derailed by unseen obstacles and leadership blind spots. These are the areas where your perceptions or behaviors don’t align with reality. We all have them, and if you think you don’t have them, well, there’s one right there.

It’s like the scene from Catch-22 where Yossarian tells Appleby, “‘You’ve got flies in your eyes. That’s probably why you can’t see them.”

Your leadership blind spots will undermine your effectiveness, damage team morale, and stall your organization’s progress. After spending a few decades in manufacturing leadership, I’ve seen how these blind spots can creep into even the most experienced managers’ leadership styles. Recognizing these blind spots isn’t just something that’s nice to do, it’s essential.

Blind spots are invisible to the person experiencing them. They usually come from habits, biases, and assumptions that go unchallenged. And if you don’t fix them, they’ll create ripple effects across your entire team and organization. But, with an intentional effort at self-awareness, the blind spots can be identified and fixed.

Leadership blind spots usually start with good attentions that go off course. For example, you might micromanage your team because you want to ensure that everyone does their best. But that will stifle creativity and make employees feel like you don’t trust them.

Similarly, you might favor one high-performing employee for key projects because you think it’s the best way to ensure success. But, this favoritism can actually demoralize the rest of the team, overwork the high performer, and create resentment among everyone.

Communication is another source of blind spots. You may believe your direct, blunt style of relaying information and feedback is efficient, but your associates may see it as harsh and bullying. Overconfidence in your decision-making can be another issue — leaders who pride themselves on being decisive eventually fail to consult their teams, which results in poorly informed choices.

Individuals aren’t the only ones who get blind spots; organizations can also have them. For example, a company might focus so heavily on short-term goals that it neglects long-term planning or market trends. (This is what’s often known as “benefitting the shareholders.”) This tunnel vision often leads to missed opportunities and makes the organization vulnerable to outside disruptions.

Failing to fix leadership blind spots can lead to serious problems for both individuals and the organizations they serve. Blind spots can erode trust and credibility, and your associates may see you as out of touch or unapproachable, which stifles communication and collaboration.

At the team level, they can lead to engagement and reduced morale. When your associates feel unheard or undervalued, they’re less likely to bring their best ideas forward, which ultimately leads to higher turnover rates and lower productivity.

In the end, your poor decision-making coming from overconfidence or lack of input can lead to costly mistakes. For example, prioritizing short-term cost savings that come from purchasing cheaper equipment can lead to higher maintenance and repair costs later. Ignoring market trends and customer feedback can leave a company ill-prepared for the changes the future demands.

How to Recognize Your Leadership Blind Spots

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. That is, the first step in addressing your blind spots is acknowledging that they do exist. That means taking a good, hard look at your own behaviors and assumptions.

Start by reflecting on the consistent feedback you have received. Are there patterns in what they have told you? Or are you dismissing certain types of feedback outright?

Feedback from your team members is invaluable, so create a setting where your team feels comfortable sharing honest input without worrying about retribution. It could be through one-on-one meetings, surveys, or even informal conversations at the water cooler or over lunch.

You can also find blind spots through 360-degree feedback assessments. These gather input from superiors, peers, and subordinates to give you a well-rounded view of your leadership style. Compare this feedback with your own self-assessment and see where your perceptions don’t align with reality.

Working with a mentor or coach can also help you see your blind spots clearly — an outside perspective often provides valuable insights. A mentor who has had similar blind spots can give you guidance on how to fix the problems.

Finally, consider how a lack of diverse perspectives might contribute to your problem, so surround yourself with people who think differently than you do as a way to challenge your assumptions and broaden your viewpoint.

Strategies for Overcoming Blind Spots
To overcome your blind spots, start making small changes in how you approach your leadership challenges. For example, if you’re a micromanager, practice delegating more responsibilities and learn to trust your team to handle them independently. Set clear expectations at the beginning, but avoid checking in constantly.

Improving your communication style is another important area. If you tend to deliver blunt feedback, try giving it in a way that balances honesty with empathy. Pay attention to how you say things as much as what you say. Tone and body language are just as important as the words.

If you have too much reliance on making quick decisions, make it a habit to consult others before you make important choices. Ask for input from people with different expertise or perspectives. Even someone without your years of experience may think of something you never would have thought of.

Building self-awareness is an ongoing process. Check in with yourself and others to make sure you’re staying on track with your goals.

And don’t underestimate the importance of continuous learning and development. Attend seminars and read books on leadership topics that explore your blind spots more deeply. Read, take notes, and keep track of what you’re learning. Keep a journal about the things you’re learning and the results you’re seeing. This will help you adapt more effectively over time.

I’ve been a manufacturing executive, as well as a sales and marketing professional, for a few decades. Now, I help companies turn around their own business, including pivoting within their industry. If you would like more information, please visit my website and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Photo credit: Karsten Madsen (Pixabay, Creative Commons 0)