University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
What Are Your Blind Spots?
Book

What Are Your Blind Spots?

Conquering the 5 Misconceptions that Hold Leaders Back

Jim Haudan and Rich Berens
McGraw-Hill, 2018
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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Concrete Examples
  • Engaging

Recommendation

Statistics say that about 70% of your employees suffer disengagement from their jobs. Unfortunately, many leaders have no idea how to engage their employees, often because of insidious “blind spots” in their thinking. Root Inc. consultancy co-founder Jim Haudan and CEO Rich Berens warn that failing to recognize these blind spots can cause you to stifle your best employees instead of giving them the autonomy to do their finest and most engaged work. To transform your organization and unlock the potential of your employees, the authors say, just open your eyes.

Summary

You Can See Clearly Now

High employee engagement equals high performance. For engagement, leaders must treat those they lead with consideration and respect – and earn their respect in return. Start by avoiding the “blind spots” that impede your leadership and block your vision. 

Carefully consider the five blind spots and 13 lessons below. When you put these lessons to work inside your organization, you can radically transform it for the better and engage more meaningfully with your employees. With today’s rampant employee disengagement, cynicism and apathy, you must foment change. As a leader, you know that cultural change begins with you. 

Bloodletting

In mid-December 1799, George Washington, the recently retired first president of the United States, turned slightly ill. At 67, Washington suffered a cold and a sore throat. This was nothing unusual for the dead of winter in Virginia, the site of Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. The weather had been chilly with snow, hail and rain – perfect weather for colds. As the master of his sprawling property, Washington had been spending considerable ...

About the Authors

Jim Haudan is a co-founder of Root Inc., an organizational change and development consultancy, where Rich Berens is CEO and “Chief Client Fanatic.”

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