The Leadership Blindspot You Cannot See
I’ve been obsessed with self development and where and how I could optimize myself ever since I went through the Hudson Institute of Coaching in 2011. I read the books, took the assessments, hired the coach (2 coaches), went to therapy, and did all the things I thought would help me be my best self. Heck I even re-invented my whole life to be more aligned to me, making it feel like I was living an authentic life. While I successfully re-created my world, it didn’t “feel” how I thought it would. Something was still brimming beneath the surface. What was it?
I was setting goals and in many ways in high achievement mode changing careers, launching a business, later a second business, relocating to Austin, coaching at the world’s best agencies like Wieden & Kennedy, speaking at the 3% conference, and making a good living as a leadership coach. At the same time, I was also wired to people please, lacked clear boundaries (or even an understanding how boundaries worked), was seeking external validation more than I was giving myself validation and love, avoiding hard conversations, and I had unrealistic expectations of others meeting my needs because I had no idea how to meet my own OR what they even were.
Do any of these areas sound familiar to you? If not, perhaps you relate to prioritizing work over everything or working so hard to appear strong or withdrawing and living a life inside your head. Or may instead of people pleasing you constantly move against, or doubt / worry, or over analyze, or lose yourself in striving for perfection, in everything.
