The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.  ~Leonardo Da Vinci

Da Vinci very succinctly described my week.  I facilitated a training and the organization’s CEO decided to join the training at the last minute.  This is always a challenge because when the CEO is in the room (for nearly any organization) the dynamic changes.

This CEO does not hold back if he disagrees with anything I say or present.  Because we are in a room with his direct reports plus other leaders in the organization, I choose to simply acknowledge his comments, most of the time.  But last week I simply couldn’t let some of his comments be the last thing that was said about the topic.

This training was on increasing team performance.  One of the “tools” I suggested was a format for how to ask for individual feedback.  The CEO spoke up and said that the feedback should focus on how the “team” is doing, not on how he is, or is not, effectively contributing to the team.  I agreed that self-evaluation of the team is also very helpful.  I continued to suggest that we all have blind spots, which are things we are doing (both helpful and a hindrance) that we don’t see; hence, they are called blind spots.  The only way for us to be aware of these blind spots is to ask others to help us see them.

I’ll admit I get frustrated with CEOs who think that because they now have the title of CEO that they are somehow exempt from feedback.  And it doesn’t stop with CEOs.  It can be anyone who’s been promoted to a higher level position, and at least for a time, they believe they have “arrived” and are no longer in need of input to make adjustments to their behavior, style, or contributions to a team.  They assume that their own opinions of themselves are an accurate reflection of how they are seen by others.  Da Vinci describes that perspective well: the greatest deception that men suffer!

Here’s an easy way to ask for feedback.  Simply ask: “What’s one thing you see me doing, or failing to do, where I’m getting in my own way?”

I’m going to challenge all of us, myself included, this week to ask at least one person that question: “What’s one thing you see me doing, or failing to do, where I’m getting in my own way?”

For some of us, blind spots may be revealed; and that’s a good thing!  I don’t think any of us want to emulate the emperor with no clothes, so we better start asking for feedback.

Adrian McGinn said, “Our blind spots are only seen by others so seek to be enlightened!”  If you want your team to increase its performance, then the best place to start is with yourself.  Seek to be enlightened!