A remedy for your blind spots

Reader,

I once believed every challenge I faced meant I needed to grow more as a leader, so I tried to overcome every limitation I discovered.

But no matter how hard you or I try, there are things we simply don’t notice, care about, or focus on—and when others make them important, we sometimes wonder why.

This is because we all have different unique lenses...and different blind spots.

A remedy for blind spots.

Years ago, I stumbled on what I now know is the best way to overcome blind spots as a leader. I'd love to share it with you (and the young professionals on your team).

It all began when I developed a habit of seeking out mentors all around me.

I constantly asked leaders to meet with me and offer their advice. I listened intently and observed what they focused on. I asked endless questions to really understand their perspectives.

I thought I was developing skills, but something bigger was happening.

The power of a vantage point.

Imagine we take a hike up a mountainside together. We peer down at the valley below and see a stream cutting through the landscape speckled with wildflowers.

Then, we climb the other side and look down at the very same valley. From this new vantage point, we see a deeply worn trail winding through a heavily wooded landscape—but the water and flowers are invisible from here.

Your view depends on where you stand.

Similarly, what you see at work depends on your experience, role, priorities, and unique lens.

Have you ever been frustrated when others don’t see what’s obvious to you? Me too.

But when you recognize that your team members are seeing from different vantage points, then:

• You’ll expect them to notice, care about, and focus on different things.
• You’ll expect things you see to be invisible to them.
• You’ll expect them to make different choices.

Discovering new vantage points.

As a leader, the more skilled you are at thinking from different vantage points:

• The more expertise you’ll develop, because you’re adopting the thinking of many experts.
• The better your decisions will be, because you’re factoring in far more variables.
• The more impact you’ll have, because your decisions will consider the whole organization.

New vantage points protect you from myopic thinking and the dangerous belief that your way is the best or only way. It’s not. And innovation requires many perspectives and approaches.

Expand your thinking to fill your blind spots.

The key to filling your blind spots is to expand your thinking.

Learn to understand and think like people who have very different vantage points than you—on purpose.

A personal example.

I once worked with a colleague who saw literally everything differently than me. No matter the topic or challenge, he always came at it from the opposite angle.

I regularly wondered, "Why is he bringing this up right now? Is this really important?"

But the longer I listened, the more I realized he was looking at the situation from a completely different vantage point. His experience, expertise, skills, and unique lens equipped him to see things that were invisible to me.

Over time, I realized I could start thinking with his vantage point in mind. I learned to bring different perspectives— once invisible to me—into every decision I made.

Making the invisible visible.

Ever felt that looming feeling you don’t know what you don’t know? Or had the sense that whatever you’re missing is big?

Have you seen this in your team?

Few things are more unsettling, especially when you find yourself in new situations, bigger roles, and higher stakes.

The most effective way to make the invisible visible is to expand how you think and learn to see from different vantage points.

For Founders, this is how you scale leadership—by ensuring your team is developing the ability to see beyond their current vantage point.

Becoming a better leader.

As your thinking elevates, you’ll be able to consider any situation from many perspectives. When you do:

• Your decisions will be better. You’ll see more angles, understand more of what’s important to your organization, and consider many different variables.
• You won’t be surprised by conflict. You’ll know that two people in conflict are seeing from different vantage points, recognize the value in their differences, and help them expand their thinking together.
• You’ll grow in confidence. The more your thinking expands, the more situations and challenges you’ll navigate with ease. You’ll enjoy your well-honed ability to lead without being surprised or unprepared.
• You'll rise faster. The more perspectives you understand, the more opportunity you'll have to advance your career—because you’ll navigate challenges like someone already operating at the next level.

Learning to see from different vantage points is the most accessible way to develop yourself.

The best part? It’s an easy skill to develop, because every conversation is an opportunity to expand your thinking.

Here's how.

Turn your meetings into growth opportunities.

Focus on the one person who thinks most differently from you:

• Observe what they notice, focus on, and care about.
• Ask questions to understand why these things matter to them.
• Consider how their expertise, experience, and perspective differs from yours.
• Recognize how their perspective adds value and makes your work better.
• Figure out how this perspective can elevate you as a leader.

Ask a leader for advice.

Choose a leader you respect, and tell them about a project or challenge you’re facing. Ask:

• What do you think matters most in a project/challenge like this?
• Have you done something similar? What worked and didn’t work?
• I feel stuck—can you help me think through what it takes to do this well?
• What am I not paying attention to that would make a difference?
• Here’s how I’m approaching this—what am I missing?
• And more...

In my experience, people are happy to give advice and help you grow. I’ve asked hundreds of people for advice throughout my career, and rarely have I been turned away.

In fact, when I started Potential Arena, more than 150 people gave me direct advice, tangible help, and meaningful support in just the first six months. They expanded my thinking with their deep expertise.

Try this in your next conversation.

Pick one person’s perspective to unpack. Then reply and let me know what you learned.

One final word of advice.

When you ask for help and a leader offers it—say thank you! Let them know how their help was meaningful to you.

Then, pass it on to someone else.

Enjoy.

Sara

​http:www.potentialarena.com