Premise:
Yesterday, I stumbled onto a French advertisement, that shows, in a very impactful way, blindspots of truck drivers.
Shot from a first person perspective, the ad has no music, no voice over, no gimmicks, just simple yet powerful visuals. Before we move ahead, please do take the 47 seconds to watch the advertisement here.
As I watched this advertisement, the question that was going on in my mind was about my blindspots as a leader.
The question is not if we have a blindspots but where are those blindspots. The next question to ask then is – how does one find out where our blindspots are, if we can’t see them in the first place.
Here are a few things that I plan to do to find my blindspots and maybe you can start here and bring your own ideas about the same:
Awareness:
The first step in the journey is to be aware of the fact that I do have my blindspots and to be always mindful and looking to find and shine a light on them.
Ask:
I will ask people I trust and work with closest about their thoughts and opinions about where they think my blindspots are.
Analyse:
Once I have some feedback, I will then analyse the feedback to check and ensure that it really is a blindspot for me or maybe not.
Address:
As I understand, realise and recognise the blindspots, I commit to find creative ways to address them till they are no longer in my blindspot.
Again:
I will keep doing this again and again. As I mentioned earlier, there will always be blindspots and it is a never ending process of becoming aware of the blindspots and addressing them.
In conclusion:
In conclusion, all I can say is that there is something to learn everywhere we look, if we look with the intention of learning. Our blindspots have the potential to derail our best laid plans. I do hope that more and more leaders are willing to and find ways to address their blindspots.
