How can you tell? (Pick the difference: 8 leadership blindspots)
- Doing well from needing a spell.
You’re flying, achieving all the goals, feeling great. But your team is struggling to keep up, and you are not telling the difference between burning the candles and burning out. Monitor yourself.
- Gruff from tough.
Tough is bullying. Gruff is direct and holding people accountable. The first is the command while the second is a consultation. Learn how to hold people responsible with compassion.
- Common sense from nonsense.
We often avoid common sense because it is too common. We need to make smart decisions and shrewd observations. Otherwise we might look stupid and that would be nonsense. Usually commonsense is right on the money. And anyway it’s okay to make mistakes.
- Sympathy from empathy.
Sympathy is feeling sorry for a person from a one-step removed position. And often leads to rescuing. Empathy is an engaged complex process that is mature and shows understanding. Become a grown-up and learn how to be empathic.
- Integrity from duplicity.
Duplicity with intent is deliberate manipulation. If you are unconsciously misinterpreting or misrepresenting something this is duplicity without self awareness. Fundamentally integrity means doing the right thing all the time. Knowing yourself really well, continuously, helps you tell the difference.
- Kindness from blindness.
If you really believe that “This is a workplace not a childcare centre. ” Then you are blind to being kind. Kindness is not incompatible with being direct, and caring in this way ensures autonomy and collaboration from your team. Learn 100 new ways of recognising people genuinely.
- Decisiveness from divisiveness.
A decisive leader is more respected than an indecisive one. The difference is whether the decisions incorporate an understanding about the possible impact upon people as well as upon achieving the goals. You can tell the difference by engaging in genuine and broad consultation before coming to the decision. And, most importantly, explaining why someone’s viewpoint was not included so they understand they were heard but the reasons why their idea wasn’t followed.
- Humility from stupidity.
Humble leadership is a bit of a popular trend. Leaders who are human and open about their behaviours are more effective and more respected than the charismatic boss. Being overly transparent and ignoring context and organisational politics is however, stupidity.
Some revelations are best left private and so some street-smarts will help you tell the difference.
I’d love to hear if you have some favourite blindspots you’d like to share.
