Are You Leading the Way You Think You Are?
The Blind Spots Holding Leaders Back
Every leader has two competing forces at play:
the leader they intend to be, and
the behaviours they actually show under pressure, time constraints, and everyday demands.
Because leadership moves fast, most people don’t stop long enough to check whether their habits still support the outcomes they want. That’s where blind spots quietly creep in, and those blind spots cost more than most leaders realise.
The Hidden Cost of “I’m pretty sure I’m doing OK”
It’s surprisingly easy to assume our leadership is landing well because we’re busy, we’re trying our best, and nothing looks obviously broken. Yet under the surface, small issues often stack up:
duplicated effort because directions weren’t clear
rework caused by missed expectations
staff avoiding decisions or escalating unnecessarily
slow progress on priorities
frustration that turns into turnover risk
All of those have a dollar value attached.
A leader who tightens their clarity, consistency, or decision-making speed can literally save hours of staff time each week. In a business environment, that often translates directly into reduced salary cost, increased capacity, and opportunities for growth.
Leadership isn’t “soft” work. It’s operational efficiency in disguise.
Why Self-Reflection Alone Isn’t Enough
Leaders often tell me they “reflect when they can,” but without structure, reflection tends to stay broad and vague. It doesn’t pinpoint which leadership habits are helping and which are quietly slowing everything down.
A structured self-assessment gives you a clearer picture. It forces you to pause, rate specific areas of your leadership, and notice where your current habits don’t fully match the impact you want to create.
That’s where the real value is.
Bringing Intent and Impact Closer Together
When leaders complete a structured self-assessment, they usually discover one of three things:
“I thought I was stronger here - interesting.”
This signals a misalignment between effort and outcome.“I didn’t realise that was holding everything up.”
These blind spots are often the most financially costly.“Yes, that confirms what I suspected.”
Useful clarity to either keep strengthening or finally resolve an old annoyance
None of this is about being “good” or “bad.” It’s simply about sharpening your leadership so it works for you, not against you.
The Power of Focusing on One Opportunity at a Time
Trying to improve everything at once dilutes your effort.
It’s far better to pick one leadership opportunity with the biggest payoff.
Tackling a single high-impact leadership habit can:
reduce team confusion → fewer errors → less time wasted
improve decision flow → faster delivery → higher output
strengthen trust → lower turnover → reduced recruitment cost
lift team confidence → more initiative → more revenue-producing activity
Small shifts in behaviour often create large operational and financial ripple effects.
The Leadership Impact Assessment: A Practical Jump-Start
To help leaders focus on the right things, I offer a simple self-assessment that looks at:
key areas of leadership impact
how you rate yourself against each
targeted reflection prompts to uncover patterns and opportunities
It’s not a 360-degree review.
It’s not a performance evaluation.
It’s a structured, honest check-in with yourself, and a way to identify the one improvement that’s likely to save you time, reduce stress, and strengthen your bottom line.
Final Thoughts: Leadership Clarity Pays Off
Most leaders don’t need a full overhaul. They just need a sharper understanding of where their energy should go next. When you close the gap between your intention and your actual impact, everything runs smoother - the team, the work, and the results.
If you’re curious where your biggest opportunity lies, I offer a complimentary Leadership Impact Assessment for leaders genuinely wanting to grow.
It’s not about judgement.
It’s about clarity; and clearer leadership usually saves money, time, and effort.
These are the shifts, and LEAD LAB® is where you learn to embed them.
Learn more and join LEAD LAB® here.