Are You Really the Leader You Think You Are?
Think you’re a great leader? Self-aware, collaborative, approachable? …But are you? Your self-perception might be miles away from the reality of your team’s experience. As leaders, we often believe we’re nailing it—yet, the evidence of our leadership effectiveness might say otherwise. Let’s delve into why your team might not be on the same page as you are.
The Discrepancy Between Perception and Reality
It’s easy to believe you’re a great leader when you’re surrounded by a culture of agreement and compliance. But here’s the hard truth: what if your team engagement, turnover rates, siloed working, or missed targets reveal a different story? The signs of a leadership blind spot are often buried beneath the surface, masked by polite nods and superficial feedback.
Unveiling the Blind Spots
At We are Mindfluencers, we are constantly talking to current and aspiring leaders who believe to excel in areas like teamwork and communication, yet their teams feel a different reality. Why does this discrepancy occur? Here are the top reasons:
- Lack of Constructive Feedback: Sometimes, your team might not feel safe enough to give you honest feedback. They might be avoiding confrontation, fearing the repercussions of challenging the status quo.
- Blind Spots Not Addressed: Some leaders have blind spots that others have not highlighted. These gaps can create barriers to true leadership effectiveness and can be incredibly damaging to team morale and performance.
- Acceptance of Subpar Behaviour: Often, people accept poor behaviour from leaders simply to avoid conflict. This acceptance can lead to unaddressed issues festering beneath the surface, impacting team dynamics and productivity.
The Hidden Cost of Not Seeing the Full Picture
Ignoring these issues can have a severe impact on your team’s performance and morale. High turnover, disengaged employees, and missed targets are not just numbers—they are symptoms of deeper problems. If you’re not addressing these underlying issues, you’re missing out on critical opportunities for growth and improvement.
The Evidence You’re Missing
So, how do you truly gauge your effectiveness as a leader? Relying solely on self-assessment or limited feedback from your inner circle is risky. Instead, consider these methods:
- 360-Degree Feedback: This method provides a comprehensive view of your leadership effectiveness from all levels within your organisation, uncovering areas for improvement you might not be aware of.
- Employee Engagement Surveys: Regular, anonymous surveys can help highlight areas where your team feels unsupported or undervalued. Keeping in mind, this is just information until you utilise it to drive change and focus on the areas that need improvement, otherwise it’s just another tick and flick exercise that will further add to the disengagement.
- Performance Metrics: Track key performance indicators such as team productivity, turnover rates, and achievement of targets to objectively assess leadership impact. Include a mix of both technical performance metrics AND soft skill capability metrics. After all, if you don’t have the ability to engage, influence or communicate, it will greatly impact your ability to achieve your technical targets.
- Connecting With the Human Behind the Role: The fastest way to create psychological safety and gather meaningful, constructive feedback – is by cultivating a relationship with your team; that goes beyond surface level pleasantries and scripted formalities via 1:1’s. If your team connection is a tick and flick exercise, start there.
Discover Your Leadership Blind Spots
At We Are Mindfluencers, we specialise in helping leaders uncover their blind spots and enhance their effectiveness. Our approach goes beyond traditional feedback methods. We use innovative techniques and cutting-edge tools to provide you with a clear, actionable understanding of your leadership impact.
To help you get started, we’ve put together a free resource: **“18 Questions to Identify Your Leadership Blind Spots.”**This tool is designed to help you evaluate your leadership style and uncover areas that might be hindering your effectiveness.
Download Your Free Resource Today
Understanding and addressing your leadership blind spots is crucial for personal and professional growth. Don’t let gaps in your self-awareness hold you back from becoming the leader you aspire to be.
Download the “18 Questions to Identify Your Leadership Blind Spots” HERE and take the first step toward transformative leadership.
It’s time to level up your leadership.
Let us help you do that.
Let’s do great things.
Mindfluencer: Change Minds. Influence People.
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