BLINDSPOTS
Five Ways You Might be Driving Your Team Crazy
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, with more than four million residents. I used to live there, and life in a city that size comes with certain realities. The highways are massive. Eight lanes in one direction is normal, and traffic rarely slows down.
While living there, I was involved in an accident on one of Houston’s major highways. I was driving in the left lane when a truck beside me began drifting into my lane. I could see it happening, so I lay on the horn and tried to move away. It did not help. I was sitting in the truck’s blind spot, and the driver never realized I was there. The result was a ripped-off bumper and a frustrating hit-and-run accident. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
That experience taught me something important about leadership.
Researchers say 95% of people believe they are self-aware. In reality, social science research suggests only about 15% actually are.
Blind spots are not just a highway problem. They are a leadership problem. And leadership blind spots can frustrate teams far more than traffic ever could.
The difficult part of blind spots is that others can usually see them first. Team members notice them in meetings, conversations, and decision-making patterns. Questions begin circulating quietly around the office:
How do they not see this?
Why are they unaware of the impact?
Does anyone feel safe enough to say something?
Many teams never bring these concerns directly to the leader because they fear the response.
So what should leaders do? After all, they are called blind spots for a reason. We cannot address what we refuse to see. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wisely said that the solution to ignorance is awareness.
Here are five leadership blind spots worth paying attention to before they begin driving your team crazy.
1. Not Intuitive Enough
Confucius is credited with saying that true knowledge is knowing what you do not know. Strong leaders recognize when they have entered situations where their experience or expertise is limited. They stay curious instead of pretending to have all the answers.
Reflective Question:
When was the last time you openly admitted, “I do not know,” and what did that honesty make possible for your team?
2. Not Agile Enough
The Dunning-Kruger effect describes a cognitive bias where people with the least knowledge often have the most confidence. Leaders who lack agility can continue relying on methods that once worked but no longer fit current realities.
Good leaders adjust. Great leaders adjust early.
Reflective Question:
What practice, process, or mindset might you be holding onto simply because it worked well in the past?
3. Not Resourceful Enough
Many leaders still believe they must be the smartest person in the room. That mindset no longer works. Information is widely available, expertise is highly specialized, and talented people are often hired precisely because they know things their leader does not.
Healthy leaders leverage the wisdom and experience of others rather than competing with them.
Reflective Question:
Are the people around you empowered to contribute their expertise, or are they mostly waiting for your approval?
4. Not Empathetic Enough
When I was in the truck driver’s blind spot, I was honking and maneuvering, but he never noticed. Leaders can do the same thing with people. Team members often communicate frustration indirectly through withdrawal, sarcasm, disengagement, or avoidance.
Wise leaders pay attention to those signals. They invite honest conversations and create environments where people feel safe enough to speak openly.
Reflective Question:
What signals might your team be giving that deserve more curiosity instead of quick dismissal?
5. Not Paying Attention Enough
Leadership requires discernment. Not every issue deserves equal energy. The key is learning to recognize patterns.
A single complaint may be an isolated frustration. Repeated frustrations usually point to something deeper. Leaders who pay attention to recurring themes often uncover blind spots before they become major problems.
Reflective Question:
What recurring tension, comment, or frustration keeps surfacing around you that may deserve a closer look?
The Solution Begins Here
Every leader has blind spots. The question is not whether they exist, but whether we are humble enough to acknowledge them.
Dave Bader, founder of Bzzz Agent, once said, “Dig a hole and throw your ego into it. Pour cement on top of it. Find humility instead.”
Humility is often the difference between a leader who grows and one who loses the team’s trust.
About Learning and Leading
Hi, I’m Chris Hobbs, and I write Learning and Leading. It is simply a blog where I share what I’m learning while leading. In the words of CS Lewis, though, ‘My descriptions of my thoughts may make others believe I have been there.’ I’ve spent over 25 years in school leadership and have been fortunate to earn several degrees and receive recognition in the fields of educational leadership and athletic coaching. Yet, for everything I get right, there are dozens of areas I’m still figuring out how to get right.
I’m married to my high school sweetheart, and we’re the proud parents of three incredible young adults. Faith in Jesus Christ is my foundation, yet I am far from perfect. Life is often messy and complicated, but I believe it’s still worth leading with clarity and hope.
You can find me on X or LinkedIn, where I share daily thoughts that (hopefully) inspire and make you laugh.