More than business strategies and good products, small businesses need leadership to grow – leadership that should not only come from the top but ideally should be echoed all over the enterprise.
Unfortunately, leaders aren’t infallible. In John C. Maxwell’s column today in INQUIRER.net, he talked about some blind spots that can wreck a leader’s journey.
An excerpt from the article follows. Check the entire article here:
The Blind Spot—An area in the lives of people in which they continually do not see themselves or their situation realistically. This unawareness often causes great damage to the people and those around them.
Most every leader has a blind spot, in fact, all probably do. We are trapped in our own perspectives, unable to see the world completely from another person’s point of view. We are absorbed in our world, caught in our present circumstances, consumed by selfish thoughts, and confined by our narrow experiences.
To illustrate, consider King George III of England’s journal entry on July 4, 1776: “Nothing happened today.” Of course, unbeknownst to King George, the American Declaration of Independence had been issued that day, and it would change the course of history.
One reason for our singular perspective can be attributed to our self-perception, or attitude toward self. As I wrote in the Lens Principle: Who we are determines how we see others. A naïve optimist may be blind to the less-than-ideal intentions of those around them. Oppositely, an eternal pessimist may be blind to the kindness of a co-worker, instead suspecting ulterior motives.
A second cause of singular perspective comes from our tendency to judge ourselves based on intentions, while judging others by their actions. Such a bias allows us to cut ourselves slack and to justify our actions, because, after all, we meant well.
However, since we aren’t able to see the motives of others, we evaluate them solely by their actions. We attribute shortcomings in their behavior to shortfalls in character without regard for their present circumstances, mood, or emotional frame of mind.
We are fully aware of our history, but ignorant of the background of others. For this reason, context is the third and final cause of a blinding singular perspective. Decisions we take make perfect sense to us given our beliefs and experiences, but they may surprise others who are not as familiar with us.
On the other hand, since we don’t know the particulars of another person’s childhood, past relationships, or prior involvements, we often have trouble conceiving why the person acts the way he or she does.
As trite as it may sound, putting yourself in another person’s shoes does open you to their perspective. To broaden your limited perspective, try to envision their opinions and feelings. Attempt to be aware of their motives and the values they hold dear.
Leaders avoid the blind spot of singular perspective when they seek to understand before seeking to be understood.
As always, Maxwell’s thoughts resonate deeply with what I have observed in small businesses. Often, there’s so much potential that are destroyed by leaders’ failure to respond or even acknowledge blind spots.
It takes discipline, and certainly it takes humility. Sometimes, it takes a good, trusted friend to point it out at the risk of being fired. 
Are you ready to face your blind spot?
(Photo courtesy of Michelle Morelos.)
