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Newsletter Article
Are Leaders Blind To Their Weaknesses?
By Nick Tasler, M.S., Lac D. Su, M.S., & Dr. Jean Greaves
The fifth most popular Dilbert comic strip in the cartoon’s history begins with Dilbert’s boss relaying senior management’s explanation for the company’s low profits. In response to his boss, Dilbert asks incredulously, “So they’re saying that profits went up because of great management and down because of a weak economy?” To which Dilbert’s boss replies, “These meetings will go faster if you stop putting things in context.”
We may chuckle, but we have to wonder if the cartoon’s popularity is due mostly to the sad truth it conveys. Are managers truly blind to their weaknesses, or are they just incapable of acknowledging their own shortcomings? If either is the case, what does that mean for anyone involved in developing leaders?
To find out, TalentSmart® researchers analyzed over 6,000 ratings from direct reports, peers, and supervisors of 523 leaders using the 360o RefinedTM leadership survey. We discovered that leaders are most likely to overestimate themselves on “self-awareness”—the ability to recognize how one’s own emotions impact and are influenced by other people. It may be that the hopelessly unaware managers depicted in Dilbert reflect today’s leaders fairly accurately.
