The Blind Spot Every Leader Has (And How to Find Yours)

Every leader has a blind spot.

The question isn't whether you have one. It's whether you know what yours is.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: the higher you rise, the less honest feedback you receive. People filter what they tell you. They soften the edges. They tell you what they think you want to hear — or what feels safe to say.

Meanwhile, your blind spots are shaping your reputation and your results. Every day. Whether you see them or not.

What Is a Blind Spot, Really?

A blind spot isn't a weakness you're aware of and working on. It's something you genuinely can't see about yourself — a pattern, a tendency, an impact you have on others that feels invisible to you but is obvious to everyone else.

Maybe it's how you show up under pressure. Maybe it's a habit you've repeated so long it feels like "just who you are." Maybe it's the gap between what you intend and how you actually land.

The tricky part: you can't see your blind spots through introspection alone. By definition, they're outside your field of vision. That's why they're called blind spots.

What Shows Up Under Stress

In my work coaching leaders and debriefing assessments like Hogan, I've seen a consistent pattern: everyone has behaviors that emerge under stress. Tendencies that feel normal to you but land very differently on others.

Maybe you get quiet when you're overwhelmed — and your team reads it as disappointment or withdrawal.

Maybe you speed up when you're excited — and your team feels steamrolled, unable to keep up or contribute.

Maybe you ask rapid-fire questions when you're uncertain — and your team feels interrogated rather than supported.

These aren't character flaws. They're tendencies. And once you see them, you can work with them. But you have to see them first.

A Pattern Worth Noticing

Here's a simple diagnostic: think about feedback you've received more than once. Not a one-off comment, but something that's come up from different people, in different contexts, at different points in your career.

"You're intimidating."

"You don't seem approachable."

"You move too fast."

"You're hard to read."

"You don't listen."

Whatever the recurring theme is for you — that's data. That's not coincidence. That's your blind spot trying to get your attention.

Why Assessments Matter

This is why tools like Hogan exist. Not to put you in a box or label you. But to surface what you can't see on your own — especially the patterns that emerge when you're under pressure, stressed, or not at your best.

I've debriefed hundreds of these assessments. The leaders who struggle most aren't lacking talent or drive. They're lacking awareness of how they show up when the pressure is on.

One executive I worked with was known for his strategic brilliance. He could see around corners that others couldn't. But what he didn't see was this: his intensity in meetings was shutting down the very collaboration he wanted. When he got excited about an idea, he dominated. When he was uncertain, he interrogated.

His Hogan revealed a high "Excitable" score under stress — quick to show enthusiasm but also quick to show frustration. His emotional variability was creating whiplash for his team.

Once he saw it, everything shifted. Not because he changed who he was, but because he could finally work with what had been working against him.

How to Find Your Blind Spots

You have two options:

1. Ask someone who will tell you the truth.

Find a colleague, mentor, or trusted peer who knows you well and has seen you in action. Ask them directly: "What's one thing I do that might get in my way — that I might not see?"

Then listen. Really listen. Not to defend. Not to explain. Just to understand.

This takes courage. Most people won't do it. That's exactly why it's valuable.

2. Use a tool designed to surface what you can't see.

Assessments like Hogan, 360 feedback, or even structured interviews with your team can reveal patterns you'd never catch on your own. The key is being willing to look — and having someone skilled to help you interpret what you find.

Self-Awareness Isn't What You Think

Here's the shift most leaders need to make: self-awareness isn't about introspection. It's not journaling or meditation or thinking harder about yourself.

Real self-awareness is about seeing yourself through others' eyes. Understanding the impact you have — not just the impact you intend.

The gap between intention and impact is where blind spots live. And closing that gap is some of the most important work a leader can do.

Your Move

What's one piece of feedback you've received more than once?

Don't dismiss it. Don't explain it away. Just sit with it.

That recurring theme is probably pointing at something worth seeing.

And once you see it, you can finally do something about it.

Ready to uncover your blind spots? Learn more about executive coaching or schedule a conversation to explore how coaching can help you see what you've been missing.