7 Leadership Blind Spots that Impact Even the Most Accomplished Leaders

Harvard Business Review's research has published numerous articles highlighting the impact of leadership on employee engagement and retention. For example, one study found that employees who felt disrespected by their leaders were 26% more likely to quit their jobs.

Dale Carnegie's Employee Engagement Research Study found that 71% of employees surveyed were not fully engaged in their work. It also revealed that the primary driver of employee engagement is their relationship with their immediate supervisor.

However, it's unfair to only blame leaders. Leadership is a complex skill, and most individuals aren't inherently equipped with the traits that define exceptional leadership. It's a skill set that must be cultivated and this brings us to the concept of blind spots.

Blind spots are called blind for a reason; those are traits, behaviours, or aspects that we have but we are not necessarily aware of. So, we are not conscious of those spots, but they may manifest as weaknesses, they can hinder our actions, reactions, behaviours, and beliefs, thereby diminishing our effectiveness.

Here are some of the blind spots that I encounter the most in my practise:

• Stubbornness, "I know" mindset
• Avoidance of challenging conversations otherwise known as conflict avoidance
• Acceptance of mediocrity and tolerating low performance standards
• Blaming others and refusing responsibility or protection of the team
• Reluctance to seek assistance?
• Lack of commitment and clear firm stance
• Lack of emotional intelligence and insensitivity to one’s behaviour or words affecting the team

Coaching makes it easier for leaders to identify those blind spots and understand the root causes if they wish to. The coach will then partner with the leader to facilitate change and growth.

Leaders who choose to actively work to identify blind spots and learn to overcome them on a personal level have considerable potential to impact the employee experience of those who report to them and interact with them.

So, which blind spot resonates mostly with you??