Coaching for entrepreneurs, copreneurs, mompreneurs
Overcoming blind spots to become better leaders!
Even great leaders can improve.
A friend is a very successful CEO of a large, Fortune 500 firm; his daily schedule is packed with travel, meetings, conversations and preparations for the next day’s agenda. I always enjoy the time when he can carve out 2 hours for us to have a meal and some conversation. During a recent meal, Chris shared he was involved with a Coach. At first, I thought I had drifted off and missed when the subject changed to his golf game. “No!” Chris replied, a life coach, a career coach, a personal improvement coach. Now I was perplexed! Why would Chris need a coach? Chris said he had a blind spot. Chris shared the following ideas, we all want to get better and we all have some blind spots.
A blind spot can be:
• Anatomy. The small, circular, optically insensitive region in the retina where fibers of the optic nerve emerge from the eyeball. It has no rods or cones. Also called optic disk.
• A part of an area that cannot be directly observed under existing circumstances.
• An area where radio reception is weak or nonexistent.
• A subject about which one is markedly ignorant or prejudiced
Chris explained how his coach took two of these definitions and helped him begin to understand himself a little bit better:
— Definition 1
“A part that cannot be directly observed under existing conditions.”— Definition 2
“A subject about which one is markedly ignorant or prejudiced.”
In the 1950s two American psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham created a tool to help people better understand their interpersonal communication and relationships. It is used primarily in self-help groups and corporate settings as a heuristic exercise. Their tool is the Johari Square. (Joe and Harry) Chris explained how his coach had helped him begin to learn about his blind spot; he learned that as humans we find it easier to see our problems in others, than is ourselves and even while we deny these problems to ourselves, they are visible to anyone observing. Chris said his coach had made him see the face in the mirror, what was unknown or unobserved to him, but is well know to others.
Leaders, entrepreneurs, copreneurs, mompreneurs, managers, and supervisors may have an issue with their proprioception. Proprioception is one’s own perception, a sense of where we are; we all have blind spots!
We all can improve. We all have talents, traits and learned behaviors. These qualities created our persona; they are a reason we are where we are; they have helped us achieve, remember Chris! Consider if, if I improve my openness, acknowledge that some of the traits I have create blind spots and the face in the mirror is asking me to change.
Chris is an interesting guy, when we have dinner it’s at this tiny strip mall, at this family owned noodle bar. This small, Formica tabled store front is very clean, too brightly lit and the menu is 8.5×11, dot matrix printed and sealed, real simple, no liquor license and no hustle. It’s a warm, casual a great place for learning, listening and friendship. I sometimes wonder what Chris gets from our diners. This time I got a coach. Two points my coach is helping me with, the first is to just say Thank you, with no buts, adds or however. The second is to just listen, I’m working on being a better listener; working on being more interested than being interesting.
Remember all the runners in the race compete, only one wins-Run to Win.
Lets run to win!
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