Knowing Your Blind Spots

Self-awareness may be the most important leadership skill you never see on a CV.

Every leader has blind spots. They are the habits, assumptions and behaviours we don’t recognise in ourselves but which are often obvious to the people around us. They can affect how we communicate, make decisions, respond to pressure and build relationships, often without us realising.

The challenge is not having blind spots. The challenge is believing we don’t.

Leadership is built on influence, and influence begins with self-awareness. The more we understand our own strengths and limitations, the more effectively we can lead others.

The Hidden Cost of Blind Spots

Blind spots rarely announce themselves. Instead, they reveal themselves through patterns.

• A talented employee resigns unexpectedly.
• The same feedback keeps appearing in staff surveys.
• Meetings become quieter.
• People stop challenging your ideas.
• Deadlines are repeatedly missed despite clear instructions.

It’s easy to blame external factors, but effective leaders pause to ask a more difficult question: “Could I be contributing to this?”

That question requires humility, but it often unlocks the greatest opportunities for growth.

Your Team Sees What You Don’t

Leadership creates distance. The more senior your role becomes, the less likely people are to tell you uncomfortable truths.

Some may fear criticism. Others simply assume you don’t want to hear it.

Over time, leaders can become surrounded by agreement rather than honesty. That’s why actively seeking feedback is so important. Ask trusted colleagues:

• What do I do well?
• What should I do more of?
• What should I stop doing?
• What do you think I don’t realise about myself?

The answers may be uncomfortable, but they are often invaluable.

The most dangerous blind spot is believing you don’t have one.

Strengths Can Become Weaknesses

Many leadership blind spots begin as strengths.

• A decisive leader may unintentionally stop listening.
• A compassionate leader may avoid difficult conversations.
• A highly organised leader may become controlling.
• Someone who thrives on high standards may unknowingly create a culture where people fear making mistakes.

Our greatest strengths, when overused, can become our greatest limitations. The goal is not to change who we are, but to recognise when our strengths need balancing.

Curiosity Beats Certainty

The strongest leaders remain curious about themselves.

• They ask questions before reaching conclusions.
• They listen more than they speak.
• They accept that they will never stop learning.

Self-awareness is not achieved once. It is practised every day.

Growth Begins with Reflection

Reflection doesn’t require hours of free time. Sometimes, five minutes at the end of the day is enough. Ask yourself:

• What went well today?
• What could I have handled differently?
• Did I genuinely listen?
• Did I create space for others to contribute?
• What have I learned about myself today?

Leadership development doesn’t happen only through courses or qualifications. Often, it happens quietly through consistent reflection.

Editor’s Reflection

“One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is that good intentions don’t always create good leadership. There have been times when I thought I was being supportive, only to realise later I was micromanaging.

There have been occasions when I believed I was communicating clearly, only to discover people had interpreted something completely differently.

That wasn’t because anyone was wrong. It was because I couldn’t see my own blind spots.

I’ve learned that feedback isn’t criticism, it’s information. Sometimes it confirms what we’re doing well. Sometimes it highlights something we’d never noticed. Either way, it helps us become better leaders.

Today, I’d much rather hear an uncomfortable truth than continue believing a comfortable misunderstanding. Leadership isn’t about protecting your ego. It’s about continually improving your impact on the people around you.”

Recognising Your Blind Spots

DO

• Invite honest feedback from trusted colleagues.
• Reflect regularly on your leadership style.
• Listen with curiosity rather than defensiveness.
• Accept that everyone has blind spots.
• Encourage challenge and different perspectives.
• Be willing to apologise when you’re wrong.
• Celebrate learning as much as success.
• Stay open to changing your approach.

DON’T

• Assume your intentions are always how others experience you.
• Surround yourself with people who only agree with you.
• Become defensive when receiving feedback.
• Confuse confidence with certainty.
• Ignore recurring patterns or concerns.
• Believe seniority means you’ve stopped learning.
• See feedback as a personal attack.
• Assume self-awareness happens automatically.

Further Reading

Thanks for the Feedback — Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen

An excellent guide to receiving feedback well, even when it’s difficult to hear.

Leadership and Self-Deception — The Arbinger Institute

Explores how our own assumptions and behaviours influence the people around us.

Emotional Intelligence — Daniel Goleman

A leadership classic explaining why self-awareness is fundamental to effective leadership.

The Fearless Organization — Amy C. Edmondson

Examines how psychologically safe cultures encourage honesty, learning and innovation.

Recommended Listening

The Knowledge Project

Shane Parrish interviews world-class leaders and thinkers about decision-making, learning and self-awareness.

Coaching for Leaders

Practical episodes focused on leadership behaviours, communication and personal development.

The Diary of a CEO

Features open conversations about leadership, vulnerability and continuous improvement.

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