As discussed in a previous blog, every leader has a set of blind spots that may prevent their success. If the leader hasn’t taken the time to do the work to identify those blind spots and build self-awareness, they will struggle. In an article by Victor Lipman called Do Higher-Level Leaders Have Lower Self-Awareness it is clear that the higher you go as a leader, you have a tendency to actually have far lower self-awareness.
Although most people would assume leaders who have reached senior levels would have high self-awareness, the opposite results are true. Tasha Eurich, refers to a study of 3600 of leaders at various levels and industries that was done. The results showed that senior level leaders overvalued 19 out of 20 competencies for themselves compared to lower level leaders. The article concludes that the lack of people providing good feedback contributes to their recognition of how they are perceived. That should not be used as an excuse. If you really want to know where you stand then you have to find a way to get the information from you peers, direct reports and management.
Recognize that it isn’t easy for direct reports to give you feedback, especially if it is not going to be perceived well. Push for feedback from your peers and leadership team as well. Keep asking for it, be sincere and thank them for what they share with you. You can also do a 360 assessment to provide an anonymous view of where you stand from the perspective of multiple stakeholders. This is extremely helpful to see a holistic view and find themes that apply. Reflect on what you learn. You can choose to do nothing and remain where you are or you can create an action plan that will allow you to make intentional choices to improve. Now that you are aware, you get to decide how to go forward.