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03/29/2021

Managing Up When Your Boss Lacks Self-awareness

Out-of-touch managers create chaos

Every leader has some consideration they overlook at work—and for many, it’s their own behavior. Most people think they’re self-aware, but less than 10 percent of us actually are. Leaders tend to overestimate their effectiveness, and experienced leaders are often more pronounced in this behavior. Leaders are consistently praised and promoted throughout their careers, so they may feel like they’re invaluable company assets.

As a high-performance workplace coach, I once worked with a leader who vehemently believed he collaborated with his employees. When Monday meetings rolled around, he would pose a question to his team and go around the table for responses. He was always the first to give his opinion and would become irritable when people disagreed. When I pointed this out, he decided to recognize each person’s contribution by posting their answers on a flip chart and reserving his thoughts until the end.

At the next meeting, he did write down other people’s ideas—but only the ones he liked. When he disagreed with someone’s response, he would simply move on to the next person without recording it. When the meeting was over, he summarized the ideas he liked. Some people might mistake this for arrogance, but he wasn’t the kind of leader who saw what he was doing and simply didn’t care. Instead, he was utterly oblivious to his tendency to shut down other people’s ideas.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Fast Company.

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