If you’re like me you have blind spots. You’re doing your thing, living your life, then WHAM something hits you and you realize that you had a huge blind spot about something. For me, it’s usually has something to do with the way that I relate to others. My personality type causes me to have a weakness in this area. When you’re in a leadership role you need to be more and more aware of the affect your words and deeds have on other folks.
So how do you deal with blind spots? I’ve got a few simple ways…
1. Be honest with yourself
No one is perfect. One of my early blind spots was that I thought I was always right (which is completely ridiculous by the way). As a young lad, I would argue my point to death. I just wasn’t honest with myself. You’re not always right. Be honest with yourself. You will make mistakes. Own up to them and move on.
2. Be teachable and humble
Once you’ve made that mistake and the blind spot becomes clear, learn from it. What is it trying to teach you? As a leader, you can fall into the trap of thinking you always need to have the answer. You don’t. Be humble and admit you’re wrong. Be teachable. I find the more teachable I am, the easier it is to be more teachable.
3. Make sure you have a feedback loop
Lastly, who are the feedback loops in your life? Who is going to tell you the truth and let you know you’re not seeing things as clearly as you think. You need these folks. The good news is if you follow point #2, everyone becomes a feedback loop.
I hope these simple steps help you as you strive to be a better leader and just a better person. Watch out for those blind spots.
