I can empathize when I hear people say things like...
“Now that I have received this promotion, how am I going to be able to meet the new demands placed on me?”
“If my team doesn’t come through on this assignment, I may lose my job. How can I lead my team better so this doesn’t happen?”
“Can I really meet the sales goals this quarter? The last two quarters have been brutal.”
“Will I ever get promoted?”
These are real concerns that keep real people like you and I up at night.
But let's face it, even though we often don't feel like we're up to the challenges we frequently face as leaders, we genuinely want to have opportunities that will stretch us and push us to strive to reach our potential.
In order for that to happen, we need to grow and become more. But sometimes we don't know what we don't know. Sometimes we're not aware of some of the things that are standing in the way and keeping us from experiencing the growth that we need.
They're called blind spots and we all have them.
When was the last time you looked in the mirror? Chances are, you do it every day. I know that I do.
When we look into the mirror, we get an up close and personal view of ourselves, BUT... we don't get the total picture. That would require an additional mirror.
You know this from the last time you went to get a haircut. After the usual updates on the family, the latest headlines from the 24-hour news cycle, and the low down on what’s happening in the community, there’s always the final question that every barber undoubtedly asks: “How does it look?”
The easy answer is, “looks good” after a quick glance in the mirror. But a more accurate and honest answer requires another perspective. To see the full cut (and the back of your head), you need another mirror.
The same principle applies to us as leaders. If we want to be the kind of leaders who can reach our full potential and have true influence, we have to have the courage to get the full picture.
Rather than being a “looks good” kind of leader after a quick glance, I want to see leaders who are interested in their blind spots and discovering the total picture of their leadership.
In case that’s you, I will be sending out another email next week talking about how we can identify and overcome our blind spots.
In the meantime -- how do you see and work to overcome your blind spots so that you aren’t lying awake at night answering cutting questions like the ones above?
