Everyone has their own way of seeing, but also their own blind spots. The mistake lies in believing that smart, educated, and successful people have none. Many high-IQ, well-educated, and seemingly strong leaders share a common blind spot: they assume they see everything.
Some people have extraordinary analytical and perceptual skills. They grasp situations quickly, compare, notice what others miss, and surprise people with insights. Yet even they have blind spots, and these can lead to serious consequences for large organizations.
In a meeting, you may encounter someone so dominant that you gradually stop defending your ideas. You feel they are always two steps ahead. You assume they see everything and that they have no blind spots. They think the same.
This can lead to disastrous decisions. Entire companies can be exposed to enormous risk because one person’s judgment is accepted without challenge.
An example often cited is Philippe Bruggisser, former CEO of Swissair Group. His radical, poorly balanced decisions, which went far beyond the evaluative and critical capabilities of those around him, played a significant role in Swissair’s collapse in 2001. The company was later rescued by the state, but many people suffered for years.
You may be better than everyone in the room at many things, but you still may not see everything. That is why listening remains essential.
That article came from the experiments we have conducted over the years.
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