Perfection or Connection
- Jerry Clark
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
What if the professionalism a leader is projecting is actually the very thing blocking their team’s best thinking?
In 2003, I sat in as an observer during a critical incident debrief after a workplace fatality. The leader running the meeting appeared exactly as you would expect. He was calm, professional, and completely in control. On the surface, it looked like strong leadership.
Three weeks later, I learned something that changed how I think about leadership. Members of the team had been holding back a safety concern for months. They had noticed a risk developing, but no one felt safe enough to say it out loud.
That silence cost an employee his life.
When leaders cannot acknowledge their own blind spots, the room grows quiet in the wrong way. People begin measuring every word. The engineer who noticed the flaw stays silent. The analyst who saw the risk nods along. And the leader walks out believing there is agreement, when in fact there is only fear.
But when fear leaves the room, something remarkable happens. The team's intellect finally shows up.
My challenge to you, in your next high-pressure meeting, try one small shift. Acknowledge one blind spot out loud. Say, “I may be missing something here. Help me see it.”
Real authority does not come from appearing flawless. It comes from the courage to admit you don’t have all the answers.
When I lead with humility, my team’s best thinking finally has room to appear.
Watch for the blind spots.
That journey of learning to see ourselves more clearly is exactly what I explore in Blind Spots in Relationships: What I Don't Know I Don't Know About Myself. Get your copy today on Amazon, BN or BAM.
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