Find a Blind Spot in Your Leadership

You don't know about it, but they do

Jul 10, 2025

What do they know that you don’t?

We all have blind spots. They are everything we don’t know about ourselves, but others can see them.

And it’s not the food left between your teeth.

Blind spots hinder your performance, ability to connect with your team, and your ability to achieve goals.

The question for you: What may they see?

The Johari Window Model

The Johari model is used to help people better understand themselves and relationships with others.

It is an oldie developed by Joseph Luft & Harrington Ingham in 1955. The idea is simple: there are 4 quadrants:

Johari Window model: examples, exercises & insights — Credit: https://www.skillpacks.com/johari-window-model/

Open arena: we all know, you and me.
Hidden area: you know, but they don’t. (haha!)
Blind spot: you don’t know, but they do. (haha!)
Unknown: no one knows (behavior, feelings, and motivation known neither to self nor to others)

So, you really want to know what others see, and you don’t.

Why?

You will expand your open area and can work on improvements. Sweet.

Start searching your blind spots

Start proactively asking for feedback.

How was this presentation? What did you like or not?
How did you like this report?
Do you like working with me? What should I improve?
How do you find our collaboration on the project?
Is there anything I should improve?
What did I do wrong?

The questions look decent on paper, but the answers can hurt you. Not everyone is used to receiving the hard truth. Tell them to be “brutally honest”, but then don’t get all worked up when you hear what they have to say.

People don’t usually interact on this level. Feedback is often unsolicited. People give feedback when something is bad and they can’t cope with it anymore.

But the better feedback is a wanted feedback.

You want to hear what you do without realizing it. Maybe you sound too harsh. You act too bossy or too weak.

It is so interesting to hear what others think.

When you ask, be ready for responses. No pinks and roses, my dear.

Consolidating blind spots and categorizing them

Let’s say you collected a bunch of ideas. Now the real work starts.

Consolidate your blind spots and merge them into repetitive themes. E.g.;

Not being decisive
Having favourites in the team
Lacking time management
Poor presentation skills
Not enough feedback and appreciation are provided to the team
Too stressed all the time
etc.

If you have 5 categories, you have more than enough.

Then, sort them based on their importance and impact on your work. 1-5.

See?

You have your favorite. Now, you can start working on your No. 1 priority. The beauty is that it is not a blind spot anymore. It is an area for development.

If you want it better, work on it.

(or remove your blind spots by working with me directly at ivona@ivonahirschi.com)

Where to start:

You need to commit to building a new habit to break free from your blind spots. Even if you know you’re biting your nails, you may continue doing so, unless you focus and decide to change it.

It is a slow and intentional process.

A few suggestions for exercises: