One of the most deadly challenges for leaders are blindspots.
Everyone has them.
The worst leaders don’t realize it, while the best are
constantly on guard because they know how deadly those blindspots can be.
For
some, it’s being stuck in a unproductive way of thinking. For others, it may be
staying blind to the poor performance of a friend who works for you. For still
others, it may be living in denial of your own talents and abilities.
I’ve seen pastors whose church membership is dramatically
declining, and yet they are still stuck in the thinking they used 20 years ago.
I’ve also seen business leaders whose blindness about their own weak spots has
created a lid they’re never going to grow beyond.
It doesn’t really matter what your blindspot
is—what’s important is that you find it and fix it.
Years ago, I was stuck in a certain way of producing TV
programs and documentaries. But by the grace of God I had enough honesty about
my ability to see that I wasn’t keeping up with changing styles. So I
surrounded myself with a talented young team and empowered them to push me in
new directions.
HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR BLINDSPOTS?
First, empower the people around you to be
respectful, but honest.
You’ll never discover your blind spots surrounded by “yes”
men or women.
Second, be honest about yourself, because too
many leaders live in denial.
Insecurity can destroy leaders, so be generous when it
comes to other people, but we ruthless when it comes to yourself.
Then, when you realize what they are, encourage
others to keep you alert.
Blindspots have a way of coming back because they’re often
created by our own past, our upbringing or our personality. Through treatment,
addicts can overcome their drug use, but they never stop being aware of
situations that may cause that addiction to rear its ugly head.
And if you don’t think you have any blindspots,
then you probably do, because that’s how they work.
We call them blindspots because just like
the oncoming car in our side mirrors, we don’t see it until it’s too late.
Start looking today, because once you discover them and start dealing with the
problem, your effectiveness as a leader will be transformed.
Source: Phil Cooke is an internationally known writer and speaker. Through his company Cooke Pictures in Burbank, California, he’s helped some of the largest nonprofit organizations and leaders in the world use media to tell their story. This article was originally published on Cooke’s blog at PhilCooke.com.
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