Here are 12 explanations for these blind spots, along with some suggestions for getting outside of ourselves:<\/strong><\/p>\nWe don\u2019t see ourselves the way we are seen<\/h4>\n
Simply put, we are unobservable to ourselves. From years of coaching leaders, I\u2019ve noticed that we tend to judge others based on their performance, while judging ourselves based on our intent. This mental shortcut allows us to justify our behavior, assuming that good intentions excuse negative impact. But it also prevents us from objectively examining our actions.<\/p>\n
To Do:<\/strong>
Find someone who will give you honest feedback. If you\u2019re lucky enough to identify such a person, take their input to heart\u2014especially regarding your communication style and how you come across. If no one is available, consider hiring a coach who can provide a more objective assessment of your behavior.<\/p>\nWe are consumed by our own perspective<\/h4>\n
When we\u2019re focused on ourselves\u2014our goals, our expectations\u2014we rarely pause to self-reflect. This self-focus creates a blind spot because it limits our view of reality.<\/p>\n
To Do:<\/strong>
Recognize that there may be multiple valid perspectives. Ask others how they see the situation instead of assuming your view is the only one that matters.<\/p>\nWe may not notice how others are responding to us<\/h4>\n
If you hold a leadership position, people are unlikely to challenge your opinion unless you\u2019ve created a culture that encourages psychological safety, openness, and respectful disagreement. Without these norms, most people will remain silent to avoid conflict or risk.<\/p>\n
To Do:<\/strong>
To better understand your team\u2019s engagement, reflect on questions like:<\/p>\n\n- \u201cDo people speak up and offer different perspectives?\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cOr do they remain silent until prompted?\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cDo team members approach me with ideas and challenges?\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cOr do I have to initiate every check-in to gauge their needs?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Just noticing how people engage can tell you whether changes are needed in how you lead.<\/p>\n
We don\u2019t recognize the cues others are sending<\/h4>\n
Roughly 55% of communication is nonverbal. People are constantly signaling their thoughts and feelings, even if they don\u2019t speak them aloud. During discussions, watch for subtle cues:<\/p>\n
\n- Are people leaning into the conversation or away?<\/li>\n
- Are they making eye contact, or avoiding it?<\/li>\n
- Are their hands open and relaxed, or hidden, clenched, or chopping the air?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
These behaviors often signal disagreement or discomfort.<\/p>\n
To Do:<\/strong>
Pay attention and ask about what you observe. You might say,<\/p>\n\n- \u201cI noticed you haven\u2019t responded and have been looking down. What are your thoughts on this decision?\u201d<\/li>\n
- Or, \u201cI\u2019d really value your input on this\u2014even if you disagree. Please share your perspective.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
We may see our leadership role as a validation of our ideas<\/h4>\n
If you\u2019ve been in your role for a while, it\u2019s easy to assume that your track record justifies your approach. But experience doesn\u2019t automatically translate into effective collaboration. While the task at hand may require clear direction, it\u2019s worth considering that your team may have deeper insights based on their daily work.<\/p>\n
To Do:<\/strong>
Assess the context. If collaboration would lead to a better outcome, then ask for others\u2019 perspectives. Listen, adapt, and co-create a solution that meets the goal.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#f7f7f4″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ make_equal=”on” column_padding_mobile=”on” module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” width_tablet=”100%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”100%” max_width_tablet=”100%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”0px||95px|||” make_fullwidth=”on” custom_width_px=”680px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2-5-scaled-1.jpg” alt=”A man stands and speaks to a group during a meeting in a modern office, gesturing with his hands. Some attendees show signs of disengagement as they sit around a table, while sunlight streams through large windows and notes fill the whiteboard.” title_text=”A man stands and speaks to a group during a meeting in a modern office, gesturing with his hands. Some attendees show signs of disengagement as they sit around a table, while sunlight streams through large windows and notes fill the whiteboard.” show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ custom_margin=”-40px|||||” animation=”off” sticky=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#efefe9″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/3-6-scaled-1.jpg” alt=”A woman writes on a transparent board covered with colorful sticky notes, while a man stands nearby watching. Their active collaboration in the modern office contrasts sharply with workplace disengagement.” title_text=”A woman writes on a transparent board covered with colorful sticky notes, while a man stands nearby watching. Their active collaboration in the modern office contrasts sharply with workplace disengagement.” show_bottom_space=”off” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ custom_margin=”-39px|||||” custom_padding=”0px|||||” animation=”off” sticky=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”off|off|” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#818178″ text_font_size=”24″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” min_height=”110px” custom_margin=”9.5%|10%||10%||” custom_margin_tablet=”|10%||10%” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”1px|||||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
We all have blind spots. And often, we\u2019re unaware of our own lack of awareness.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”PT Sans|on|||” text_text_color=”#888888″ text_font_size=”12″ text_letter_spacing=”2px” text_line_height=”1.2em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px||20%|” custom_margin_tablet=”20px|||” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding=”||1px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]JOHN STOKER[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”4″ column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”1200px” custom_margin=”-4px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”0||0px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|||” custom_padding_phone=”” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1200px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”20″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” min_height=”1235px” custom_margin=”-74px||0px|||” custom_margin_tablet=”40px||0px|” custom_margin_phone=”-44px||0px|||” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding=”107px||0px|||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
People may not feel safe disagreeing with you<\/h4>\n
Most people want to keep their jobs. If they believe that speaking up could have negative consequences, they\u2019ll stay quiet. Their willingness to share honest feedback depends largely on their history with you and the culture of your organization.<\/p>\n
To Do:<\/strong>
Pay attention to who doesn\u2019t contribute regularly. Invite them to share. If necessary, speak with them one-on-one to reassure them that their perspective is valuable. If they\u2019re not comfortable speaking in meetings, provide private channels for input by meeting one-on-one.<\/p>\nAnd critically, manage your group behavior. Invite disagreement openly. Encourage participation, listen attentively, and affirm the importance of candor. That\u2019s how you change people\u2019s minds about speaking up.<\/p>\n
We confuse confidence with competence<\/h4>\n
People often assume that being confident means they are also competent. But confidence can be inflated by past successes, status, or personality\u2014and may not reflect actual ability or awareness. This can blind someone to areas where growth or feedback is needed.<\/p>\n
To Do:<\/strong>
Differentiate between feeling confident and being accurate. Ask yourself: \u201cWhat evidence do I have that I\u2019m seeing this clearly?\u201d<\/em> or \u201cWhen was the last time someone challenged my thinking\u2014and how did I respond?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nWe receive too much praise and too little challenge<\/h4>\n
Especially in leadership roles, people tend to get more praise than critique. Subordinates may cushion feedback, or avoid it entirely, leading to a distorted sense of how others perceive them.<\/p>\n
To Do:<\/strong>
Intentionally ask for critical feedback. You might say, \u201cWhat\u2019s one thing I could do differently that would help me be more effective?\u201d Asking such a question gives people permission to be honest without feeling like they\u2019re attacking you.<\/p>\nOur ego protects us from discomfort<\/h4>\n
Becoming aware often involves facing painful truths\u2014about ourselves, our impact, or our limitations. Our egos are wired to defend against this discomfort, leading to denial or avoidance.<\/p>\n
To Do:<\/strong>
Practice self-compassion. Recognize that growth isn\u2019t about being perfect\u2014it’s about being willing to learn. Remind yourself: “Awareness isn\u2019t criticism\u2014it\u2019s clarity.”<\/em><\/p>\nWe confuse busyness with self-reflection<\/h4>\n
Many people are constantly in motion\u2014leading meetings, solving problems, responding to others. This pace can create the illusion of awareness, while actually crowding out time for meaningful self-examination.<\/p>\n
To Do:<\/strong>
Schedule time for reflection. Even 10\u201315 minutes at the end of a day to ask, \u201cWhat did I learn about myself today?\u201d<\/em> or \u201cHow did my actions affect others?\u201d<\/em> can make a huge difference.<\/p>\nWe inherit blind spots from the culture around us<\/h4>\n
Workplace or cultural norms can discourage introspection, humility, or emotional expression\u2014especially in environments that value certainty, efficiency, or authority. These norms can normalize a lack of self-awareness.<\/p>\n
To Do:<\/strong>
Pay attention to your environment. Ask: \u201cWhat messages does this culture send about reflection, feedback, and learning?\u201d<\/em> And \u201cWhere might I be absorbing unhelpful norms without realizing it?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nWe haven\u2019t been taught how to be self-aware<\/h4>\n
Self-awareness isn\u2019t instinctive for everyone, it\u2019s a skill. And many people simply haven\u2019t been taught how to observe themselves with curiosity, seek feedback constructively, or process emotions thoughtfully.<\/p>\n
To Do:<\/strong>
Treat self-awareness as a learnable discipline. Read, journal, work with a coach or therapist, or use assessments to deepen your understanding. Like any skill, the more you practice it, the stronger it becomes.<\/p>\nWe all have blind spots. And often, we\u2019re unaware of our own lack of awareness. Building strong, trusting relationships is essential for gaining a more objective view of ourselves, our ideas, our decisions, and our leadership. Becoming more aware of our impact allows us to take meaningful steps toward our personal growth.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ min_height=”520.5px” custom_margin=”-17px||20px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px|0px|24.625px|0px||” global_module=”37900″ collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_padding_mobile=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”780px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|73.90625px|0px” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”780px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”36″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”||70px|” text_font_size_tablet=”26″ text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Want new articles before they get published? Subscribe to our Awesome Newsletter.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_signup provider=”constant_contact” constant_contact_list=”mhurwitz321|2103394019″ layout=”bottom_top” first_name_fullwidth=”off” last_name_field=”off” email_fullwidth=”off” success_message=”Thank you for subscribing!” button_text=”Submit” use_spam_service=”on” recaptcha_list=”CIG|CIG-0″ _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” form_field_background_color=”#ffffff” form_field_text_color=”#000000″ form_field_custom_margin=”1px||1px||false|false” form_field_custom_padding=”12px|12px|12px|12px|false|false” result_message_text_color=”#0C71C3″ result_message_font_size=”25px” result_message_letter_spacing=”1px” result_message_line_height=”1.1em” form_field_text_align=”justify” form_field_font_size=”16px” form_field_line_height=”1.8em” background_enable_color=”off” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_bg_color=”#02b875″ custom_css_free_form=”.et_pb_signup_0.et_pb_subscribe .et_pb_newsletter_button.et_pb_button {|| color: #ffffff !important;|| background-color: #112d51;||}” border_radii_fields=”on|0px|0px|0px|0px” border_width_all_fields=”1px” border_color_all_fields=”#c6c6c6″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_signup][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Building strong, trusting relationships is essential for gaining a more objective view of ourselves, our ideas, our decisions, and our leadership. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2956,"featured_media":50031,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[2363,8],"class_list":["post-49995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","tag-leader","tag-leadership"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Seeing Ourselves Clearly: Overcoming Leadership Blind Spots - Careers in Government<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Building strong, trusting relationships is essential for gaining a more objective view of ourselves, our ideas, our decisions, and our leadership.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Seeing Ourselves Clearly: Overcoming Leadership Blind Spots - Careers in Government\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Building strong, trusting relationships is essential for gaining a more objective view of ourselves, our ideas, our decisions, and our leadership.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Careers in Government\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CareersInGovernment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DialogueWORKS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-22T00:06:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-08T01:41:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/JohnS-scaled-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1708\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"John Stoker\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/plant.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@JohnRStoker\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@careersingov\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"John Stoker\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/education\\\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/education\\\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"John Stoker\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/df0f8ac4bc78cf35d65d45f2e4769393\"},\"headline\":\"Seeing Ourselves Clearly: Overcoming Leadership Blind Spots\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-22T00:06:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-08T01:41:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/education\\\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3042,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/education\\\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/JohnS-scaled-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"leader\",\"leadership\"],\"articleSection\":[\"education\\\/training\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/education\\\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/education\\\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\\\/\",\"name\":\"Seeing Ourselves Clearly: Overcoming Leadership Blind Spots - Careers in Government\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/education\\\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/education\\\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/JohnS-scaled-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-22T00:06:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-08T01:41:20+00:00\",\"description\":\"Building strong, trusting relationships is essential for gaining a more objective view of ourselves, our ideas, our decisions, and our leadership.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/education\\\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/education\\\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/education\\\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/JohnS-scaled-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/JohnS-scaled-1.jpg\",\"width\":\"2560\",\"height\":\"1708\",\"caption\":\"A woman demonstrates leadership as she writes on a whiteboard while two colleagues, one man and one woman, stand nearby, watching and smiling in a bright office setting.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/education\\\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Tools\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Government Talk\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/newdesign\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"About the Public Sector\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/newdesign\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"education\\\/training\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/newdesign\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/education\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"Seeing Ourselves Clearly: Overcoming Leadership Blind Spots\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/\",\"name\":\"Careers in Government\",\"description\":\"Oldest and largest, award-winning site for finding jobs in government, education and other public sector agencies. Valuable tools for job seekers and employers.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Careers in Government\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/CIG-horizontal-dark-v2.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/CIG-horizontal-dark-v2.png\",\"width\":\"708\",\"height\":\"480\",\"caption\":\"Careers in Government\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/CareersInGovernment\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/careersingov\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/careersingov\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/df0f8ac4bc78cf35d65d45f2e4769393\",\"name\":\"John Stoker\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/246c3dcb3e3e96e3597f88846c45e39e9585294d359669ebf3a125de8b865f00?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/246c3dcb3e3e96e3597f88846c45e39e9585294d359669ebf3a125de8b865f00?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/246c3dcb3e3e96e3597f88846c45e39e9585294d359669ebf3a125de8b865f00?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"John Stoker\"},\"description\":\"John R. Stoker is the author of \u201cOvercoming Fake Talk\u201d and the president of DialogueWORKS, Inc. His organization helps clients and their teams improve leadership engagement in order to achieve superior results. He is an expert in the fields of leadership, change, dialogue, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence, and has worked and spoken to such companies as Cox Communications, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and AbbVie. Connect with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.dialogueworks.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/DialogueWORKS\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/JohnRStoker\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/author\\\/johnst\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Seeing Ourselves Clearly: Overcoming Leadership Blind Spots - Careers in Government","description":"Building strong, trusting relationships is essential for gaining a more objective view of ourselves, our ideas, our decisions, and our leadership.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"nofollow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Seeing Ourselves Clearly: Overcoming Leadership Blind Spots - Careers in Government","og_description":"Building strong, trusting relationships is essential for gaining a more objective view of ourselves, our ideas, our decisions, and our leadership.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/","og_site_name":"Careers in Government","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CareersInGovernment","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DialogueWORKS","article_published_time":"2025-05-22T00:06:44+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-08T01:41:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1708,"url":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/JohnS-scaled-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"John Stoker","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/plant.jpg","twitter_creator":"@JohnRStoker","twitter_site":"@careersingov","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"John Stoker","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/"},"author":{"name":"John Stoker","@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/#\/schema\/person\/df0f8ac4bc78cf35d65d45f2e4769393"},"headline":"Seeing Ourselves Clearly: Overcoming Leadership Blind Spots","datePublished":"2025-05-22T00:06:44+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-08T01:41:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/"},"wordCount":3042,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/JohnS-scaled-1.jpg","keywords":["leader","leadership"],"articleSection":["education\/training"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/","url":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/","name":"Seeing Ourselves Clearly: Overcoming Leadership Blind Spots - Careers in Government","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/JohnS-scaled-1.jpg","datePublished":"2025-05-22T00:06:44+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-08T01:41:20+00:00","description":"Building strong, trusting relationships is essential for gaining a more objective view of ourselves, our ideas, our decisions, and our leadership.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/JohnS-scaled-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/JohnS-scaled-1.jpg","width":"2560","height":"1708","caption":"A woman demonstrates leadership as she writes on a whiteboard while two colleagues, one man and one woman, stand nearby, watching and smiling in a bright office setting."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/seeing-ourselves-clearly-overcoming-leadership-blind-spots\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Tools","item":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Government Talk","item":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/newdesign\/tools\/gov-talk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"About the Public Sector","item":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/newdesign\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"education\/training","item":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/newdesign\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"Seeing Ourselves Clearly: Overcoming Leadership Blind Spots"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/","name":"Careers in Government","description":"Oldest and largest, award-winning site for finding jobs in government, education and other public sector agencies. Valuable tools for job seekers and employers.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/#organization","name":"Careers in Government","url":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CIG-horizontal-dark-v2.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CIG-horizontal-dark-v2.png","width":"708","height":"480","caption":"Careers in Government"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CareersInGovernment","https:\/\/x.com\/careersingov","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/careersingov\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/#\/schema\/person\/df0f8ac4bc78cf35d65d45f2e4769393","name":"John Stoker","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/246c3dcb3e3e96e3597f88846c45e39e9585294d359669ebf3a125de8b865f00?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/246c3dcb3e3e96e3597f88846c45e39e9585294d359669ebf3a125de8b865f00?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/246c3dcb3e3e96e3597f88846c45e39e9585294d359669ebf3a125de8b865f00?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"John Stoker"},"description":"John R. Stoker is the author of \u201cOvercoming Fake Talk\u201d and the president of DialogueWORKS, Inc. His organization helps clients and their teams improve leadership engagement in order to achieve superior results. He is an expert in the fields of leadership, change, dialogue, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence, and has worked and spoken to such companies as Cox Communications, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and AbbVie. Connect with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.dialogueworks.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DialogueWORKS","https:\/\/x.com\/JohnRStoker"],"url":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/author\/johnst\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2956"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49995"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49995\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50095,"href":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49995\/revisions\/50095"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}