by Lewis Senior
Every human being, leaders included, has blind spots. These aren’t flaws in character or failures of competence, they’re simply the unseen gaps between intention and impact.
Most of us don’t realize these blind spots are there until something goes wrong: a team misfires, communication breaks down, or feedback loops fall silent. But what if you could learn to detect, and even predict, those blind spots before they undermine your leadership?
The key lies in understanding your leadership style, particularly through the lens of personality diversity.
The Hidden Costs of Blind Spots
Blind spots can take many forms: an overemphasis on results at the expense of relationships, an aversion to conflict that stifles honest feedback, or a tendency to micromanage when stressed. Often, these patterns emerge because we’re wired a certain way, with our habits of perception, communication, and decision-making shaped by our personality tendencies.
When left unchecked, these tendencies become predictable pitfalls. And in the complex dynamics of today’s hybrid, fast-moving workplaces, the cost of not seeing yourself clearly can be high: lost engagement, missed innovation, and eroded trust.
Leadership Style Isn’t Just a Buzzword
Understanding your leadership style isn’t about fitting into a box, it’s about recognizing how you naturally lead, and where you might unintentionally lead others astray.
For example:
- A leader with Red/Yellow tendencies may be dynamic and persuasive, but risk steamrolling quieter team members.
- A leader with Blue/Green tendencies, meanwhile, may be thoughtful and supportive, but struggle with quick decision-making under pressure.
Recognizing these patterns is all about awareness. Once you understand your natural style, you begin to see not just what you bring to the table, but what you might be missing.
Three steps to spot and manage your blind spots
1. Know Thyself (Really)
Most leaders assume they’re self-aware. But research from Tasha Eurich and her team has shown that while 95% of people think they’re self-aware, only about 10% to 15% actually are. Personality assessments, when well-designed and behavior-based, can act as a mirror that reflects back not just your strengths, but also your triggers and tendencies under stress.
Ask yourself:
- What kind of situations bring out the best in me?
- When things go sideways, how do I typically react?
- What do others frequently thank me, or warn me, about?
A Red/Green leader, for instance, may pride themselves on logic and decisiveness. But under pressure, that same logic can turn into coldness, and decisiveness into dismissiveness. Recognizing that pattern is the first step toward managing it.
Leadership blind spots by personality style
2. Invite honest feedback, then listen deeply
Blind spots are, by definition, hard to see. That’s why intentional leaders proactively seek feedback, not just once a year, but as an ongoing dialog. The trick is not just asking for feedback but making it safe for others to give it. This is especially important when your leadership style may unintentionally discourage openness.
For example, a Yellow/Red leader might radiate enthusiasm but dominate conversations, making it hard for others to express disagreement. By understanding this, they can slow down, ask more open-ended questions, and truly listen, creating space for perspectives they might otherwise miss.
Try this: At your next team meeting, ask, “What’s one thing I could do more of or less of to support your work better?” And then say thank you. No justifications, no explanations, just listen.
3. Use Personality Diversity to Build Balanced Teams
Diversity isn’t just about backgrounds, it’s also about brains. A Yellow/Blue leader might be great at building a nurturing, collaborative culture but benefit from having a Red/Green colleague to inject structure and drive results.
High-performing teams aren’t made up of people who all think alike, they’re made of people who understand how they think differently and can adapt accordingly. When team members know each other’s personality styles, they’re better equipped to resolve conflict, leverage strengths, and avoid collective blind spots.
4. Bridging Awareness and Action with Personal Intervention
While recognizing your leadership blind spots is one thing, responding to them in the moment is another. That’s where Personal intervention becomes invaluable. While the lens of personality diversity allows you to identify your natural behaviors and preferences, Personal intervention is the actionable skill that allows you to pause, reflect, and choose your response, especially in those critical moments when your default tendencies might otherwise take over.
At its core, Personal intervention is a simple but powerful self-regulation tool that empowers leaders to break free from autopilot reactions. Whether it’s choosing not to interrupt (if you’re naturally dominant), taking a stand (if you tend to avoid conflict), or slowing down your decision-making (if you’re overly action-oriented), personal intervention creates the space for intentional leadership.
In high-pressure, emotional, or high-stakes situations, the very environments where blind spots often surface, this practice can be the difference between a reactive misstep and a response that aligns with your values, your vision, and the needs of your team. Developing this muscle of choice transforms awareness into action and helps leaders show up in ways that inspire trust, adaptability, and effectiveness.
From Awareness to Action
Spotting your blind spots is a practice built and refined over a lifetime. It means choosing response over reaction. It means embracing vulnerability and being willing to grow in public. It means moving from autopilot to intentional leadership.
Understanding your leadership style is merely the first step to a more connected, more resilient, and more effective way to lead—an evermore essential skill in a world that demands more humanity from our leadership than ever before.
This post originally appeared at fastcompany.com
