I showed up at the gym last week for Bootcamp, and like every January, a bunch of newbies invaded my space. I know it’s the human thing to do — gather hope and intentions, get excited for what’s possible, set some goals and climb aboard the success train.
But since this isn’t my first rodeo, and it’s not yours either, so let’s cut to the chase. The train leaves the station when 30 days of good intent goes by – people are healthy (or healthier) and the health-kick is in full swing… until the dining car opens, that is. And quickly our new, favorite drink becomes the next one we order.
Why? Because we didn’t consciously make the decision to STOP putting the fork in our mouth, or STOP ordering the “new favorite.”
In general, it’s much easier for leaders to think about what they need to start doing in order to be successful. We’re pretty good at taking action and even kicking it up a gear. Unfortunately, that’s only half of the ticket.
The other half and harder part is thinking about what we need to STOP doing. What are the bad behaviors and habits that tend to screw up our success?
What do you do when a blind spot shows up? Depends on your level of awareness. I made a list of the ones I see derailing leaders most frequently…written in solution form.
- Stop being arrogant
- Stop being everyone’s friend
- Stop being a micro-manager
- Stop avoiding tough decisions
- Stop demanding results at all costs
- Stop being contemptuous or dismissive
- Stop publicly criticizing people
This seems easy enough, but we know it’s not. Taking the words off the page and actually applying them to our lives is where things get tricky. When you’re the CEO, you don’t have a lot of people willing to tell you your zipper’s down, or you’re being an ass. So showing you the blind spots you’re missing really isn’t going to happen.
So, as I see it, you have these choices:
- Try to figure out your own blind spots, raise your own awareness and figure out how to stop them. #MayTheForceBeWithYou
- Get a coach who has a successful approach to identify them and help you minimize their impact. #HighChanceForSuccess
I recommend going for success, but that’s just me. For more on blind spots, here you go: Teaching Leaders to Stop.