Page 57 - Fearless Leadership

44 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

to use their minds. Your attitude effectively shuts people down and dis-
plays a dangerous delusion: “There is only one reality and it is mine.”
No one likes to be around someone who is unwilling to consider new
possibilities or explore new ideas. Even if you say the words, “I’m open
to new ideas,” your behavior belies your message.
Your “I know” attitude frustrates people to such a high degree that
most would prefer working with anyone but you. What your behavior
teaches people is they do not need to think. You have all the answers
and solutions, so why should they use their energy to come up with new
ideas that you will just shoot down.
You probably become annoyed when others do not bring new ideas
and solutions. You may even complain that you are the only one doing
all the thinking in your group. Yet you do not see how your behav-
ior teaches others to stop thinking; after all, you already have the
answer.
An “I know” attitude does not inspire high performance in others.
Chances are you do not delegate effectively. Your need to control and
manage everything ends up leaving people feeling unnecessary and
superfluous. You, in turn, have an excessive workload. By not empow-
ering and delegating to others, you must then carry the burden of
work.
This blind spot costs the business the collective intelligence of oth-
ers. (In Chapter 6, we discuss how to listen with positive intention and
maximize the contributions of others.)

Blind Spot 4: Avoiding Difficult
Conversations
Avoiding difficult and sensitive conversations is an everyday occurrence
for one simple reason: such conversations are uncomfortable. People fear
they will open Pandora’s Box and be faced with their own embarrass-
ment, a negative reaction from others, being labeled or judged, or the
loss of a relationship. They sidestep difficult conversations because they
do not feel confident in their ability to be emotionally honest and direct.
Do you know how to tell a coworker to stop gossiping, or how to tell your
boss that he is demotivating the group?