Houston. It's the 4th largest city in the U.S. with 4 million residents. I am currently one of those residents and I deal with all of the things that come along with living in a massive metropolis. For example - we have 8-lane highways in one direction and these highways ALWAYS have people driving on them. There is just never no traffic.
Recently, I was driving on Interstate 45 in northern Houston early on a Saturday morning and got into an accident. My car was in the left lane and a truck in the lane to my right began to move over. I could see the truck, and how close it was getting to my car, and began to honk my horn furiously. It didn't matter. I was sitting in the blind spot of the truck and no amount of noise or maneuvering was going to make the driver aware of my presence. And the bumper of my s.u.v. was ripped off as a result. To complete my misery, the truck drove off. I was unharmed but really irritated as the victim of a blind spot hit-and-run accident.
Leadership blind spots. They are infuriating because everyone can see them except the person who needs to see them the most. How do they not know? Isn't it so obvious? Aren't they aware? Don't they see how it's impacting people? These are the things whispered around offices, departments, and divisions by teams that are afraid to bring the blind spot to the attention of the leader. And if they did, would it be a hit-and-run accident?
What is a leader to do? They are called blind spots for a reason. How can they address something they are not even aware of? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wisely stated that the solution to ignorance is awareness. I hope these 5 leadership blind spots help to give you the awareness to stop driving your team crazy.
Not INTUITIVE enough - Confucius is credited with saying that true knowledge is knowing what you don't know. Intuitive leaders are aware when they have entered into a situation where their knowledge is limited. Are you intuitive enough to know when you don't know something?
Not AGILE enough - The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias of those with the least knowledge possessing the most confidence. Leaders who are not agile can fall victim to the Dunning-Kruger effect by confidently using outdated methods or processes that no longer work under current circumstances. Are you agile enough to stop doing things that used to work but no longer do?
Not RESOURCEFUL enough - Too many leaders succumb to the myth that they have to be the expert in every room on every topic. This was possible to a degree 30 or 40 years ago. In the age of the internet, the information hierarchy has been flattened, degrees can be earned far more efficiently, and certifications are available for free. Everybody can be an expert at something and in a work environment, most people have their job because they are indeed an expert. Are you resourceful enough to utilize the expertise and experience of your people?
Not EMPATHETIC enough - When I was in the blind spot of that truck driver, he was unaware of my honking and maneuvering. Similarly, leaders can be unaware that their people are giving clear signs that a blind spot is driving them crazy. Savvy leaders draw the whisperers, cold shoulders, and avoiders in and ask them, 'Tell me what's going on.' and they listen to the answer. Are you empathetic enough to sense and investigate the honking and maneuvering when your team is in your blind spot?
Not PAYING ATTENTION enough - It can be hard for leaders to know what fires to put out and what is not worth the time. The ability to know is to pay attention to themes, not just individual incidents. What irritation seems to pop up regularly? How often do you hear the same subtle comment? It is the theme that a leader needs to pay attention to. The themes are likely blind spots. Are you paying attention enough?
Every leader has blind spots and there are a variety of ways to solve those blind spots. There is one universal characteristic that a leader must have to address blind spots. Humility. As Dave Bader, founder of Bzzz Agent quipped, 'Dig a hole and throw your ego into it. Pour cement on top of it. Find humility instead.' Humility may be the one thing that keeps your team from throwing their hands up and blurting, 'THAT'S ENOUGH!'
Bonus Content: Here are some resources to dig deeper into this topic. ‘Leadership and the Art of Struggle by Steven Snyder, 'Didn't See It Coming' by Carey Niewhof, 'The Future Leader' by Jacob Morgan
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