“You can’t change what you can’t see.”

This simple yet powerful truth has guided my work over 25 years as an Executive Leadership Coach. I’ve worked with 1000’s of leaders who want to elevate their leadership effectiveness, and it always begins with awareness. Without recognizing what’s holding you back, meaningful change isn’t possible.

One of the most common—and often overlooked—barriers to growth is the Leadership Blind Spot.

What is a Leadership Blind Spot?

A Leadership Blind Spot is an unrecognized behavior, mindset, or habit that diminishes your leadership impact. These blind spots are often invisible to you but highly visible to those around you. They can erode trust, stifle innovation, and reduce team engagement—often without your intention or awareness.

Common Leadership Blind Spots

Recognizing even one of these can open the door to a new level of leadership awareness and effectiveness.

• Going it alone: Avoiding asking for help or support.
• Shutting others down: Unaware of how your presence or tone discourages open conversation.
• Listening to fix or win: Entering conversations to convince or correct, rather than connect and understand.
• Avoiding accountability conversations: Letting performance issues go unaddressed.
• Feedback imbalance: Only giving feedback when things go wrong—rarely offering recognition or celebrating team wins.
• Defensiveness: Justifying missed commitments or blaming others rather than owning outcomes.
• Emotional detachment: Hiding emotional states, leaving others unsure how to engage with you.
• Idea dismissal: Assuming you’re “right” and not open to alternative viewpoints.

Four Ways to Discover a Leadership Blind Spot

Awareness isn’t automatic—it takes practice, reflection, and often, support. Here are four powerful strategies to help you see what you may not yet see.

1. Work with your “Accountability Partners”

Surround yourself with 2–3 trusted individuals who are committed to your growth. These Accountability Partners can help you explore where you’re getting stuck and support you without judgment.

• Explore Potential Blind Spots: Every time you get stuck take a moment to write down in your daily journal your answer to the following question, “What was the resistance that got you stuck?” This is an area to explore potential Blind Spots with your Accountable Partner(s).
• Another option for a quality Accountability Partner is to invest in working with a Leadership Coach.

2. Ask for Constructive Feedback

When a leader is willing and open to receiving constructive feedback from their peers or staff members, they can begin to see their Leadership Blind Spots.

• Start with a simple request for feedback from 3 to 4 colleagues you trust by asking them two questions:
  • What’s one thing I am doing well?
  • What’s one thing I can improve?

Remember your focus is to listen, resist the urge to defend. The goal is to see yourself through the lens of others.

3. Practice Daily Reflection

Self-awareness grows with regular self-reflection. A few minutes of journaling each day can reveal patterns in your behavior, thoughts, and leadership presence. Try using these prompts:

• What were three wins or accomplishments today?
• Where did I feel emotionally triggered? What was the impact?
• When did my presence open people up—or shut them down?
• What did I learn today about myself as a leader?

Over time, patterns will emerge—and those patterns point directly to potential leadership blind spots.

4. Conduct a Formal 360° Feedback Assessment

A structured 360° feedback assessment provides comprehensive, anonymized feedback from peers, direct reports, and leaders above you. This process can uncover blind spots that may not surface in informal conversations—and provides a benchmark for growth.

Partner with a qualified firm or coach to guide you through the process and support the integration of what you learn.

Call to Action: Start with One

Leadership effectiveness doesn’t shift overnight. It begins with a single moment of awareness—and the courage to act on it.

Choose one of the four strategies about and commit to identifying a single leadership blind spot.

Once you see it, you can begin to change it—and your impact as a leader will expand.

Let’s Connect

If you’re ready to explore your blind spots and elevate your leadership presence, I’d be honored to support you. Eric Crowell email is eric@awesomejourney.ca

Reach out to start a conversation or learn more about how coaching can accelerate your growth.