BLINDSPOTS THROUGH A DOUBLE LENS

I’ve been reading about Martin Dubin’s new book Blindspotting, and it struck a chord. He writes about the patterns leaders don’t see in themselves — the blindspots that can stall progress or strain relationships. I’ve met those many times in my coaching work.

But I’ve also noticed another kind of blindspot: the ones around our strengths.

So often, a leader downplays something that comes naturally: “Oh, that’s nothing special.” Meanwhile, their colleagues say: “That’s exactly what makes her so effective.”

These unnoticed strengths can sometimes create more leverage than fixing weaknesses. The real turning points often come not just from clearing what hinders us, but from uncovering the strengths we didn’t see before.

That’s why I like to look at blindspots through a double lens:
🔹 the hidden behaviors that get in our way
🔹 the hidden strengths that can move us forward

When you reflect on your own journey: have your biggest shifts come from correcting blindspots — or from discovering strengths you didn’t fully see?

This double lens is something I return to often in my own coaching practice — and it continues to surprise me how much hidden potential leaders carry without noticing it themselves.