_{Discover how understanding leadership blind spots and building self-awareness can transform your approach to executive coaching, personal development, and organizational success.}

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Why Leadership Self-Awareness and Recognizing Blind Spots Are Essential for Success

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Leadership is an ongoing journey of personal development, and one of the biggest challenges leaders face is understanding themselves deeply enough to realize what’s holding them back. In the latest episode of the Do Good to Lead Well podcast, I sit down with Dr. Martin Dubin, a psychologist and executive coach, to explore this critical theme. Drawing from Martin’s new book, Blindspotting: How to See What’s Holding You Back as a Leader, the episode uncovers how blind spots, those parts of our personality and behavior we are unaware of, can limit our leadership effectiveness.

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Self-awareness is the foundation of strong leadership. Yet, as Marty explains, many leaders tend to overlook their blind spots because they often mask themselves as strengths or simply lie outside conscious awareness. By bringing these blind spots into the light, leaders can better understand both their unique gifts and their patterns of overuse that may be undermining their influence.

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The Different Types of Leadership Blind Spots: How to Recognize What You Can’t See

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Understanding blind spots is a key step for any leader committed to growth, but not all blind spots are the same. Martin breaks down leadership blind spots into distinct types to help us recognize why they occur and how they affect our behavior. This nuanced approach allows leaders to pinpoint exactly where they might be unknowingly sabotaging themselves or their teams.

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• Trait blind spots arise from overusing natural strengths; for example, confidence can turn into arrogance, and decisiveness into rushed decisions without reflection. Leaders often overlook trait blind spots because their strengths have driven prior success, not realizing these strengths can become weaknesses if overapplied or used in the wrong context.

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• Motive blind spots come from deeper core drives or needs, such as power, affiliation, and achievement. Leaders may misinterpret their true motives (thinking they're driven by achievement when actually seeking control or attention) impacting decision-making and team dynamics unknowingly.

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• Identity blind spots occur when a leader’s self-view doesn’t align with their current role. Common examples include new managers who still see themselves as individual contributors or entrepreneurs who identify as innovators but must transition to company builders.

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• Emotional blind spots relate to gaps in emotional intelligence like difficulty recognizing or managing one’s own and others’ emotions.

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• Intellectual blind spots involve unrecognized limits in knowledge or ways of thinking that affect leadership effectiveness.

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Once you know what kind of blind spot you’re facing, it’s easier to take targeted steps to bring it into your conscious awareness, seek feedback, and begin to adapt.

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Self-Awareness as the Foundation of Effective Leadership

How Building Self-Awareness Helps Leaders Catch and Address Their Blind Spots

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Blind spots are often hidden because we develop automatic ways of responding to situations without pausing to reflect. When leaders build self-awareness, they gain the ability to “stand outside” themselves and notice patterns of behavior that might be holding them back or causing unintended harm. With greater self-awareness, leaders become attuned to when their habitual responses don’t fit the context or people involved, enabling them to adjust and lead more effectively.

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Why Leaders Might Skip Self-Reflection and How to Overcome It

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Despite its importance, self-reflection is often neglected by leaders. Martin notes that leaders tend to focus on fixing weaknesses rather than looking closely at their strengths, or they rush past reflection because their schedules are busy and they may feel vulnerable acknowledging blind spots. Some leaders may fear discomfort or the challenge of confronting aspects of their identity that don’t align with their role.

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Overcoming these barriers starts with a mindset shift: See self-awareness not as a chore, but as an investment in yourself.

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Then, create regular space in your life for reflection, make it a habit, not an afterthought.

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To truly grow as a leader, embrace these three key steps:

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• Cultivate curiosity: Ask yourself meaningful questions about your actions and motivations.
• Slow down: Give yourself permission to pause and reflect instead of rushing forward.
• Normalize discomfort: Recognize that feeling uneasy is a natural sign of growth, not a reason to stop.

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When you commit to these practices, reflection becomes a natural, empowering part of your leadership journey, opening the door to real transformation.

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Practical Strategies for Increasing Self-Awareness: Seeking Feedback and Meta-Communication

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If you want to become a more self-aware leader, start by creating habits that help you “see yourself from the outside.” Here’s how you can get started:

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1. Actively Seek Honest Feedback

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Invite trusted colleagues to share their candid observations about your behavior, especially around potential blind spots. Don't just wait for yearly reviews—ask for feedback after projects, meetings, or challenging conversations. External tools such as 360-degree reviews and personality assessments can give you additional insights that you might never discover on your own.

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• 360-degree reviews: Collect feedback from your boss, peers, and team members to see yourself from multiple angles.
• Personality assessments: Use validated assessments to reveal patterns and tendencies you may not notice day to day.
• Open conversations: Initiate direct discussions with team members who can provide honest, specific perspectives.

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2. Practice Meta-Communication

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Go beyond the content of your conversations—look at how you’re communicating. After an important meeting or exchange, step back and ask yourself (and others if appropriate):

• How did the conversation feel for everyone involved?
• Was there tension, excitement, or confusion in the room?
• Did I speak in a way that matched my intentions?
• How did my tone, body language, or choice of words affect the outcome?

Discuss not only what was said, but the emotional undertones and the way it was delivered. This process uncovers hidden patterns and emotional signals you might otherwise overlook.

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3. Create a Continuous Feedback Loop

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Make feedback and reflection a regular part of your week. The more consistently you invite outside perspectives and evaluate your own communication, the easier it becomes to spot your own blind spots. Self-awareness isn’t something you “get once and keep”—it’s a cycle of learning, adjusting, and growing over time.

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Tools and Practices for Revealing Blind Spots

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Being able to spot your own blind spots is a game changer for leaders who want sustainable growth, stronger teams, and real self-improvement. Martin Dubin’s approach isn’t about vague self-help, it’s about using concrete, repeatable tools to get a clearer picture of yourself.

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360-Degree Feedback: See Yourself From All Angles

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‍1. Define Your Goals: Ask yourself what you want to learn. 

2. Choose Your Reviewers: Your manager or your peers. Aim for 8–12 reviewers for balanced feedback.

3. Develop Your Feedback Tool: Use a mix of quantitative (scale-based) and qualitative (open-ended) questions to explore different aspects of your leadership and interpersonal effectiveness. (Many organizations use online survey tools or standardized feedback platforms to streamline the process.)

‍4. Communicate the Purpose: Let your reviewers know why you’re seeking feedback and how their input will be used.

5. Collect and Analyze the Data: After the feedback is gathered, look for patterns

6. Debrief with a Trusted Partner: Review your results with an executive coach, HR professional, or trusted mentor.

7. Create a Personal Action Plan: Identify two or three concrete behaviors to adjust or skills to develop.

8. Follow Up: After a few months, ask your reviewers if they've noticed changes or have further suggestions.

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Ready to take Blindspotting to the next level?

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• To get practical tools and actionable tips that will jumpstart your journey, download the Blindspotting Kick Starter Booklet here.
  
  
• Join the newsletter to be notified when a new episode is ready for you to listen and get every Kick Starter Booklet for all future episodes.
  
  
• And if you’re looking to elevate your entire C-Suite leadership team, learn how Craig Dowden can help your leaders perform at their highest-level visit https://www.craigdowden.com/executive-mastermind
  
  
• For a deeper dive, listen to the full-length episode of the Do Good to Lead Well podcast featuring Wes Adams & Tamara Myles:
  
  • Spotify
  • Apple Podcasts

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Did you like this article on Blindspotting? Does it help you become a better leader? Then check out these articles to help hone those skills even further:

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• Lead your team or company into the future with ethical AI practices: AI Driven Leadership Strategies for the Future with Geoff Woods
• ‍Create an environment for Meaningful Work: Exploring the Science and Practice of Meaningful Work with Wes Adams and Tamara Myles

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