Canberra’s high performers have a blind spot – and it’s not what you think
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Everyone has blind spots – those little things we don’t see, notice, or even fully understand about ourselves.
Whether it’s on the road, at home or in how we interact with others, our blind spots can slowly create a disconnect between perception and reality.
But what happens when blind spots show up at work, and they undermine our leadership impact and career growth?
Canberra-based leadership coach, Dr Kim Vella, says leadership blind spots are all too common, yet they don’t always lie where we think they do.
“The greatest leadership risk in Canberra isn’t recklessness. It’s actually high competence,” she explains.
“We have exceptionally competent professionals who reach leadership positions by walking a tight rope – nailing the brief, doing all the risk assessments, and knowing every process and rule.”
“From the inside out, it looks like everything is under control, and this is exactly where blind spots like to live. I see this commonly in leaders in both the public and private sectors, and have seen it in myself throughout my career.”
According to Kim, blind spots arise as a result of experience, success, and pressure, which naturally narrow what leaders notice.
“The more responsibility you carry, the more filtered your view becomes. Information becomes summarised, dissent muted, and assumptions reinforced by past wins.”
“You can operate this way and do reasonably well, but you will miss opportunities to grow skills that are necessary at higher levels of leadership.”
The things leaders don’t always see
Kim shares a few examples to help others recognise similar blind spots in themselves.
Let’s look at a few examples.
Take Michael – a sharp, fast, and analytical executive. He cuts through complexity, spots risks early, and keeps delivery on track. He ensures alignment and drives clarity, making sure things move efficiently. Where he struggles is with bigger-picture strategy and designing new approaches.
His focus on closing gaps and answering open-ended questions quickly can mean subtle risks or opportunities go unnoticed. Because he measures quality by what made him successful – speed, precision, and clear outcomes – exploratory or experimental methods can feel like a capability gap, even when they’re needed.
According to Kim, these tendencies are Michael’s blind spots, and they shape how others experience his work and limit his strategic stretch.
Another example is Anne, who operates differently to Michael.
She reads a room instinctively, understands stakeholder dynamics, and gathers perspectives carefully before making decisions. Where she struggles is her cautious, defensive approach and low risk tolerance, which can make decisions feel binary and limits exploration that might lead to better outcomes.
She hesitates to take visible ownership of initiatives, and by not openly sponsoring what she’s ultimately responsible for, she leaves others uncertain about her support. Kim believes that these tendencies impact how her leadership is experienced and limit her influence.
“Both Michael and Anne have blind spots that would require deep reflection to uncover, because most of their leadership behaviour is on autopilot,” says Kim.
“Yes, they are highly competent. But that competence has created excessive narrowness which is jeopardising their broader effectiveness as a leader.”
Expanding your leadership range
If leaders are quickly shutting things down, smoothing relationships, or hiding behind processes, Kim encourages them to notice their default patterns and question them to uncover blind spots.
“Also try to stop judging everything by what made you successful,” she says.
”Whether it’s technical depth or control or even a state of harmony, not every situation requires those traits. In fact, sometimes the exact opposite is needed to find the optimal solution.”
“It’s about expanding your behavioural range, which is something we learn in the Explorer Mindset workshops. Explorer Mindset recognises there is no ‘ideal leadership personality for Canberra’. It doesn’t type you, it simply helps you develop range – and this is the gold standard for strategic leaders.”
As Kim puts it, leadership isn’t all about personal development. It’s about strategy. And the faster you can let go of unconscious patterns that get in the way of a good strategy, the more successful you will be.
To learn more about executive coaching or leadership workshops, visit Kim Vella Coaching.
