Leaders…Which of These Blind Spots Do You Have?

Note: This article is based on a chapter in an upcoming book that will describe how I effectively utilized Marine Corps leadership concepts and techniques while serving as a C-Level executive in a publicly-traded professional services firm.

When I was first learning to drive, I remember my father repeatedly saying, “Always check your blind spots before you change lanes. Your life depends on it and so does that of everyone else in the car!”

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term “Blind Spot” in this way:

Blind Spot:

• an area where a person’s view is obstructed.
• an area in which a person lacks understanding or impartiality.
• an area in which one fails to exercise judgment or discrimination.

They are called blind spots for good reason; if you fail to constantly survey your surroundings they are easily missed. Consider them hidden dangers that we often don’t react to until it’s too late.

Everyone, including the most seasoned and successful leaders, can fall victim to blind spots. No matter how hard we try to be self-aware, everyone can unintentionally engage in unproductive behaviors that are invisible to us but often glaringly obvious to everyone else. Our behavioral blind spots often create unintended consequences: They distort judgment, corrupt decision-making, reduce our awareness. They can create silos, mistrust, warring factions, and enemies within our organizations, sabotage business results, and destroy careers.

Leaders are particularly vulnerable, especially those in senior roles. They are often under the misconception that they should have all the answers and easily handle challenges great and small. They exploit their powers of self-confidence at the expense of introspection and self-questioning. For many leaders, the need to be right trumps their obligation to be effective.

These leaders fail to see that these behaviors can be destructive to themselves and others, even when their intentions are true. They forget that others judge them on their behaviors and results—not their intentions.

Research Revelations

Leaders often have shortcomings they don’t know about, and these can greatly diminish their effectiveness—or even derail their careers. Numerous global studies have found that executives and senior leaders typically rate themselves as considerably more effective leaders than do their co-workers. A recent Business Week article cites some important research:

• A Hay Group study shows that an organization’s senior leaders are more likely to overrate themselves and develop blind spots that can hinder their effectiveness.
• A study by Development Dimensions International, Inc., found that 89 percent of front-line leaders have at least one skills-related blind spot.

The Hay research suggests that, as leaders rise within an organization, the less likely they are to see themselves as others perceive them. They often lose touch with those they lead—not surprising, given their increased isolation with the executive suite’s “rarified” atmosphere. For many, this gap in perception stems from the relative absence of trusted individuals who understand the executive’s work and who can—and will—offer honest, objective feedback. As they reach the upper-levels of their profession and become increasingly isolated behind oak-paneled doors, they have fewer peers and greater power. Honest feedback and open dialogue often become rare commodities. This poses a serious problem, as researchers have found a direct correlation between high performance and accurate self-awareness.

Two Minds: Fast and Slow

The brain has two systems for thinking, explains Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman in Thinking, Fast and Slow:

• System 1 - for fast thinking
• System 2 - for slower thinking

System 1, the fast or automatic mind reaches judgments and conclusions quickly, but often prematurely. Intuitive and aware, it makes associations with already-stored and easily accessible information. It is eager to achieve order and understanding, and therefore subject to making errors.

System 2, also known as the reflective mind, is slower and more methodical. It is capable of rational thought and even metathought: the ability to consciously observe one’s thinking processes from a distance. It challenges assumptions and generates alternatives, objectively evaluating and analyzing them.

System 2 helps us take conscious and intentional actions—but it’s also slow and requires lots of energy. It therefore often cedes control to the automatic mind, which conserves energy resources.

The most effective leaders learn to train Systems 1 and 2 to work synergistically. They nurture their reflective mind to be more proactive and sagacious, while training their automatic mind to increase its associative powers. They are ultimately rewarded with more creative ideas for the reflective mind to consider. By personally demonstrating these qualities, they are also serving as role models for less experienced leaders who can benefit from observing how a seasoned executive has mastered the effective blend of “System 1 and System 2 thinking.”

“Blind spots are the product of an overactive automatic mind and an underactive reflective mind.” ~ Steven Snyder, Leadership and the Art of Struggle

The 5 Leadership Blind Spots

A Google search for “leaders’ blind spots” produces a virtually endless list of stories of disastrous leadership decisions which were based on common cognitive biases that led to faulty thinking. There are various schools of thought on this topic. My experience has led me to believe that the most common leadership blind spots can be grouped into five common categories:

1. Experience
2. Personality
3. Values
4. Strategy
5.  Conflict

The Experience Blind Spot

“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” ~ Microsoft Founder Bill Gates, The Road Ahead

Success boosts confidence—and while it can feel especially good, it often leads to flawed assumptions amongst leaders. 

It is human nature that we rarely examine or analyze what led to a successful outcome, including luck’s role in the process. As leaders, we typically automatically assume we were right on the money. Our automatic mind consequently encodes the strategies and tactics we used, along with the confidence we gained.

This results in a kind of mental conditioning similar to that which results when a child touches a hot stove; she feels the heat and may even have her fingers burned to some degree. As a result of this experience, she learns to never again touch a stove unless she knows it is safe to do so. When successful leaders encounter new challenges or situations that require them to make decisions, they can fall into the trap of spontaneously drawing on their memories of past successes, without questioning whether prior strategies, tactics, and techniques fit the current circumstances.

A wise leader knows that a long history of accolades and achievements can potentially produce troublesome blind spots. They are aware that there is danger in assuming that past results will guarantee future successes. They understand that unless checked, their intuition (and ego) can take over, shutting down the rational mind’s desire for proper investigation, analysis, and reflection prior to making important decisions.

The experience blind spot often comes into play when a leader moves into a new role within his or her organization or joins another one. There are countless examples in which incredibly successful executives are hired to lead a new company that is struggling or in some instances, in an organizational “death spiral.” More often than not, instead of replicating their past successes, they underachieve or even fail miserably as the leader of their new organization.

This type of leadership blind spot can also occur when a leader (or members of a leadership team) has been entrenched in a job for several years or more and neglects to pay attention to shifting priorities and environmental changes. Even the best of leaders can fall victim to the “that’s the way we’ve always done it” mentality if they don’t take steps to prevent it from happening.

The Personality Blind Spot

Personality-based blind spots are epidemic among leaders at all levels. You cannot avoid them unless you have a high degree of self-awareness, monitor your thoughts, and make frequent course corrections.

Each personality type has strengths and weaknesses. But, when carried to the extreme or inflamed by stressful situations, even our core strengths can become weaknesses that endanger the successful execution of stated goals and objectives.

For example, if you’re naturally optimistic, your thinking is biased toward the positive. This is usually good if you’re charged with inspiring others. But there are times when optimism backfires and leaves you blindsided by negative realities—something you miss until it’s too late. Roslyn Carter, former President Jimmy Carter’s wife once said, “Jimmy sees the good in people, even when it is not there.” I’ve worked with and for leaders who exhibited this type of thinking and to be honest, I’ve been guilty of it myself on more than one occasion.

Similarly, a leader with an affable personality usually benefits from strong interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately, he may also be someone who prefers to avoid necessary conflict, which often leads to allowing individuals, who are ineffective to remain in roles they are unsuited for or to continue to behave in an unacceptable or undesirable manner. His aversion to conflict often enables situations that could easily be fixed by early intervention to fester and ultimately have a toxic effect on his or her team and many others in the organization.  

Personality blind spots are often hard to discover because we value our strengths so highly. We often fail to see the downside of what works so well for us. But with increased awareness, you can train yourself to detect emerging blind spots. It is critical that all leaders remember that for every strength an individual has, there almost always exists a related blind spot.

Blind spots affect our judgment and restrict our options. Soliciting diverse perspectives helps expand our awareness.

The Values Blind Spot

When your attitude and emotions are out of sync with your values, you become uncomfortable and unbalanced—a state which psychologists call “cognitive dissonance.” In short, what we say and do is incongruent with what we believe and who we are. We all have seen instances in our personal and professional lives where someone in a leadership role failed to “walk the talk” and demonstrated “Do as I say, not as I do” behavior. At best, these situations are disappointing to those affected by these leaders. At worst, they result in disastrous effects such as entire organizations suffering and, in some cases, literally ceasing to exist.

Values blind spots can occur on a personal or group level. They are particularly insidious when you’re somewhat aware of them, but fail to take appropriate corrective action. In business situations, a values blind spot can affect large groups. Recent examples include the deception and collusion of Volkswagen executives during the “Diesel-gate” scandal, Wells Fargo employees creating fake accounts at the direction of their leaders, and the alleged complicity of Uber executives in what appears to be a highly-toxic culture at that company, that has literally put its chances of survival at risk. 

Can you think of a time when an implicit incentive to maintain the status quo conflicted with your values or the stated values of your organization? Chances are that was an example of a values blind spot in action.

Strategy Blind Spots

Organizations often reward conformity and punish critical or questioning voices. This is especially true of organizations that have existed for a decade or more, because often, bureaucracies are created, along with silos and competing agendas among the various leaders and their teams. When a collective worldview becomes self-reinforcing around a set of practices, assumptions, or beliefs, there is potential for groupthink. Creativity and agility suffer because conformance is valued above change, and risk is discouraged.

While serving in the Marine Corps, my colleagues and I were often dismayed at how long it sometimes took for senior leaders to admit that a certain policy, program, weapon system, etc., was not working as intended and might even be having negative effects on the institution. There’s an old saying in the Corps:

“The only thing more difficult than getting a new idea into the Marine Corps, is getting an old idea out of it!”

Reflect upon this statement for a few minutes and you’ll likely realize that there are more than a few situations in which groupthink and rigid-thinking can be found within your organization. Consider also the possibility that you may be causing them or enabling them to continue to exist.

There are countless proverbs and quotes from notable leaders that essentially say, “Nothing breeds success like success.” However, this is not always the case when it comes to sustained success and growth in the business world. Many organizations, Polaroid and Sony for example, ultimately became victims of their own success and resulting groupthink. These two companies achieved enormous success and market-share by introducing new products that were quite revolutionary in their time—the Polaroid camera and the Sony Walkman. These products became ubiquitous among consumers, first across America and ultimately, most of the rest of the world.

But, as it always does, the marketplace matured and competitors introduced similar and in some instances, better products. No longer having the market “cornered” relative to personal cameras and “Walkman-like” devices, the momentum and growth of these two companies slowed dramatically, profits declined, and investors “voted with their feet.” Apparently “asleep at the wheel” regarding strategic thinking and planning for 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation versions and spin-off products of their initial “Home Run Products,” executives at both organizations found themselves frantically looking for alternative paths to growth and profitability.

Strategy blind spots can occur among leaders in any type of organizations and at all levels. They’re not restricted to values. Unfortunately, they are often spotted in hindsight, after an important opportunity is missed. Leaders who prize openness and transparency have the best chance of spotting strategy blind spots. They encourage input at all levels, fostering a culture of trust where ideas are honestly debated and teammates at all levels feel comfortable speaking truth to power.

The Conflict Blind Spot

Conflict can be healthy in relationships and organizations where trust has been established. Diverse perspectives challenge groupthink and the status quo, while promoting learning, awareness of new concepts, and fresh ideas. When issues are constructively debated, new strategies, tactics, and solutions to problems routinely emerge.

But it’s human nature to want to defend and win an argument. Conflict becomes destructive when positive energy turns negative and erodes trust. Empathy and insight are tossed aside when we filter incoming information through the lens of what we believe and want. We categorize others as the enemy, who must be wrong.

Instead of debate, conflict becomes a power struggle that prevents you from seeing any solution (other than winning your point). The automatic mind is in full force, fueled by strong emotions, and the reflective mind is ignored.

As a leader, you must reactivate your higher intelligence to find your way out of a conflict blind spot. This becomes more important as your role and authority grow within your organization. Slow the discussion; perhaps even take a break. Breathe deeply and re-center yourself. When you return to discussions, acknowledge common ground instead of focusing on gaps. What problem do you both want to solve? What goals and values do you share?

Leadership Lessons

To be a successful leader, you must become intimately aware of your weaknesses and biases and other aspects of your personality that can derail you and your team. A blind spot’s effects may not show up right away. Without paying careful attention, you may miss the warning signs. It’s therefore critical for you to proactively work toward discovering them, before you feel the effects. The following actions can help you identify and overcome your blind spots:

• Have a Consigliere. Ensure that you have at least one person (preferably more) in your inner-circle whom you trust in regard to his or her professional capabilities and motives. This is a person who is “first among equals” in offering you feedback about your behavior and decisions; a person you can count on to “shoot straight” when you are asking pointed questions about yourself.
• Demand that your teammates “Speak Truth to Power.” Seasoned and confident leaders surround themselves with a diverse team of smart people, who are willing to engage in “constructive fights” with them when appropriate.
• Ask your teammates for solutions. A technique that has served me well is to ask my teammates to submit their proposed solutions to problems. In these situations, I almost always have a strategy or tactic in mind on how to approach the issue, but I refrain from sharing my thoughts with the team, lest I influence their thinking. In almost every instance, the team will come up with sound courses of action to produce the desired results. Even better, they often identify related issues and challenges that I overlooked during my own assessment.
• Reflect upon the past. A great way to identify leadership blind spots is to reflect upon past decisions and actions and the results they produced. This exercise can be done individually, but is often most productive when the entire leadership team participates in an environment that promotes candor and tactful, but direct and honest feedback. Seek to determine whether one or more blind spots were present during the planning and execution of previous initiatives and projects. Solicit input on what the team can learn from mistakes or flawed decision-making that has happened and how things should be done in the future?
• Assess yourself with complete honesty. Most leaders, especially those who are seasoned and successful, possess an ample amount of self-confidence. While this trait is critical for sustained success as a leader, it can often result in an individual, after he or she establishes a history of past successes, to unconsciously cease to conduct frequent and honest self-assessments of their strengths and weaknesses. Stated in another way, they can fall victim to “believing their own press releases” and this can result in their having one or more of the 5 leadership blind spots. It is important for leaders to remember that they must never cease to pause and reflect upon their performance, especially as they become more experienced and prone to develop biases and habits that may not always produce the best solutions facing them and their teams.
• Consider working with an executive coach. An executive coach can help you collect feedback from your seniors, peers and other teammates. Your coach can administer a personality test and then show you how to evaluate, interpret and take action relative to the test results.

By discovering and resolving existing blind spots, a leader can greatly improve the effectiveness of his or her leadership. This will improve morale and often results in increased productivity for the entire team. Don’t allow blind spots to limit what you—and, ultimately your team—can achieve!

“For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories.”  ~ Plato, 380 B.C.

Thank you for reading my post. What other advice would you add to it? I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments below.

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