Leadership blind spots: Why your change efforts might be failing

When leaders announce a major company-wide change, they’ve often spent weeks and maybe even months thinking about it. Strategizing around it. But employees hear about it for the first time at an announcement – one that is quite vague and doesn’t even scratch the surface of the strategy and impact leaders have thought about behind it. Yes, it happens, and rollouts like this are leadership blind spots that need to be overcome. After all, people can’t read their boss’ minds.

Leadership blind spots

• Illusion of shared knowledge
• Silence trap
• Stubbornness stumble
• Impact blindness
• Speed misjudgment
• Too much information
• Forgetting about emotions
• Setting and forgetting 

Sarah Gorsh and Courtney Smock, partners at change management firm Slingshot 25, have seen this scenario play out many times. They’ve worked with countless leaders who were puzzled by the resistance to their carefully crafted plans. One story shared on “The Business Storytelling Show” stands out.

“We once worked with a tech company that was switching to a new project management system,” said Sarah. “The CEO thought it would be a simple change. He sent out one email about it and expected everyone to adapt quickly. But weeks later, hardly anyone was using the new system.”

This CEO had fallen into a common leadership blind spot: the illusion of shared knowledge. He thought his team knew as much about the change as he did. He was wrong.

“Leaders think that everyone knows everything they think,” said Courtney. “And they forget that they haven’t told them.”

This blind spot can have serious consequences. In the case of the tech company, it led to wasted time and resources. The new system, which was supposed to improve efficiency, actually slowed things down because people didn’t know how to use it properly.

Let’s explore some common leadership blind spots and how to overcome them.

The illusion of shared knowledge

Leaders often spend weeks or months planning changes. They discuss new plans in meetings and think about them constantly. By the time they announce the change, they’ve processed it thoroughly. But for their team, it’s brand-new information.

To fix this, leaders need to explain changes clearly and often. They should tell people why the change is happening and what it means for everyone. One announcement isn’t enough.

“When you’re at the finish line, they’re just getting started,” said Sarah.

Leaders should remember this gap in understanding when communicating changes. They need to be patient and provide ongoing information and support.

The silence trap

Another blind spot is assuming that silence means agreement. If no one speaks up against a change, leaders might think everyone’s on board. But many people don’t feel comfortable sharing their worries or questions.

In the tech company example, many employees were struggling with the new system. But they didn’t want to admit they were having trouble, fearing it might make them look incompetent.

To avoid this trap, leaders should actively seek feedback. They need to create a safe environment where people feel comfortable speaking up. This approach helps catch problems early and makes people feel included in the process.

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The stubbornness stumble

Some leaders believe that changing course shows weakness. They stick to their original plan even when it’s clearly not working. This stubbornness can lead to failed changes and frustrated employees.

Courtney remembers a company that insisted on implementing a new production process despite clear signs it wasn’t working.

“The CEO was so invested in the idea that he couldn’t see the problems it was causing,” she said. “It took months of declining productivity before he finally admitted they needed to adjust the plan.”

Flexibility doesn’t mean giving up on the main goal. It means being smart about how to reach that goal.

The impact blindness

A change that seems small to a leader might be a big deal for some team members. Leaders often underestimate how much time, support, or resources people need to adapt to new ways of working.

“We worked with a company that decided to change its customer service process,” Sarah recalled.  “The leadership team thought it was a minor adjustment. But for the front-line staff, it meant completely relearning how they did their jobs. The company hadn’t planned for the training time needed, which led to a lot of stress and mistakes.”

When planning changes, talk to people from different parts of the company. Understand how the changes affect everyone, not just a few people.

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The speed misjudgment

Leaders sometimes expect everyone to adapt to changes immediately. They forget that people need time to learn new skills or get used to new processes.

“Every time we have a gap around decision clarity, communication, you have confusion, anxiety, fear of the unknown,” said Courtney. “People try to solve the puzzle, instead of working.”

Change is a process. Provide training and support to help people through the transition. This approach makes the change smoother for everyone involved.

Too much information

While clear communication is crucial, there’s a risk of overwhelming people with too much information. Constant updates or repetitive messages can lead to people tuning out.

Find a balance in communication velocity. Some team members might need more details, while others prefer a quick summary. Planning messages carefully to meet different needs without overloading anyone is key.

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The emotional oversight

Leaders often focus on the practical aspects of changes and forget about emotions. Realize that changes can make people feel uncertain, sad, or worried.

“We tend to want to like move forward with the change so much that we sort of like want to avoid or push past all the emotions,” said Sarah.

Acknowledging these feelings is important. Create ways for people to express their concerns and offer support to help them cope with the emotional side of change.

The ‘set it and forget it’ mistake

After implementing changes, it can be easy to move on to the next challenge without looking back. But it’s crucial to check if the changes are working as planned.

Courtney remembers a company that rolled out a new inventory system across all its stores.

“They considered the project done once the system was installed,” she said. “But they didn’t check how it was working in practice. It turned out that many store managers had found workarounds because the system didn’t meet their needs. The company wasted a lot of money on a system that wasn’t being used properly.”

Good change management requires looking beyond your own views and assumptions. By recognizing and fixing blind spots, leaders can communicate better, engage employees more, and guide their companies through successful changes. Changing the status quo takes work and the right implementation. No doubt. 

As Sarah and Courtney have seen in their work, leaders who master these skills can create more resilient and adaptable organizations. They can also more effectively navigate the challenges of change, turning potential failures into successes.