How do you tend to get in your own way?
If it strikes you as an odd question, consider that some level of blind self-interference is universal, even among great leaders. For example, a client’s colleagues will tell me, "Jack doesn’t realize how harshly he judges his people, making delegation a big problem for his team." From mild to severe, unwanted patterns of action build up in your blind spot, like household dust that needs periodic cleaning. Make it a practice to ask those you trust, “How am I getting in my own way right now?” Although it takes courage and accountability to ask, it enables you to grow consistently stronger and be a more capable, effective leader.
Self-coaching Questions:
- Would it help me to ask others (in order to light up my blind spots) how I tend to get in my own way?
- Who would I trust to be able to ask that question?
- What is the upside for my own leadership, and my organization, to be gained from asking others for such insights?
David Peck
Executive Coach and President
Leadership Unleashed
Note: Over 100 of these tips appear in my book: Beyond Effective: Practices in Self-aware Leadership. Click
on the image of the book for more information.
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