Blind Spots That Break Leaders: The Hidden Traps That Erode Trust and Performance
Blind Spots That Break Leaders: The Hidden Traps That Erode Trust and Performance
By Krista Fee | RISEUP Voices From the Frontlines: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series
The Things You Don’t See
Leadership isn’t just about what you do, it’s about what you don’t see.
Blind spots are the parts of ourselves we don’t even know are there. They’re the unconscious habits, defenses, and assumptions that quietly drive behavior. And in leadership, those unseen forces can fracture teams, destroy trust, and quietly dismantle entire missions.
I’m Krista Fee, founder of RISEUP Phoenix Trauma and Crisis Institute, bestselling author, and trauma-informed leadership practitioner. I work with responders, educators, executives, and organizational teams to create systems that support safety, performance, and human sustainability.
I do this work because I’ve seen what happens when leadership blind spots go unchecked. Good leaders lose great people. Teams fall apart. And individuals burn out from carrying emotional weight they were never trained to recognize.
Let’s talk about what those blind spots really cost, and how trauma-informed leadership helps you see what you’ve been missing.
The CEO Who Couldn’t See Himself
I once coached a CEO who couldn’t understand why turnover was sky-high. He believed he was supportive. He believed people admired him. But his staff told a different story: dismissive in meetings, constant interruptions, 2 a.m. emails, and a tone that left everyone on edge.
When I shared that feedback with him, he said, “That’s not me.” But it was. His blind spot wasn’t malice; it was unawareness. He thought he was being a strong communicator. His team felt steamrolled. That blind spot cost him his best employees and the culture he’d worked years to build.
Leaders don’t fail because of what they see. They fail because of what they don’t.
Why Blind Spots Are So Dangerous
Blind spots are not just personal flaws; they are leadership liabilities.
They multiply with power. The higher you climb, the bigger your blind spot’s ripple effect.
They hide in familiarity. “That’s just the way I am” becomes the perfect cover for unintentional harm.
They destroy trust. People will forgive honest mistakes, but they lose faith in leaders who repeat harm without accountability.
The Neuroscience of Why You Can’t See Yourself Clearly
The brain protects the ego like it protects the body. It filters out information that threatens your self-image. That’s why feedback feels like danger, and why leaders tend to defend rather than reflect. Add trauma, chronic stress, or survival-mode leadership to the mix, and the distortion deepens. When your nervous system equates awareness with threat, denial feels safer than growth.
Trauma-informed leadership flips that script. It teaches you to see discomfort not as danger, but as data and an opportunity for regulation, connection, and adaptation.
History Repeats: Nixon’s Blind Spot
Richard Nixon had political genius, strategy, and intelligence. But paranoia and mistrust became his downfall. His blind spots didn’t just limit his leadership; they ended it.
His story is a timeless warning: brilliance does not protect you from your own shadow. Awareness does.
The First Responder Who Thought He Was Fine
One of the strongest men I ever worked with, a seasoned first responder, told me he was “fine.” But his family told another story: anger, distance, sleepless nights, emotional disconnection. His blind spot wasn’t just about self-perception. It was about survival. He had spent years training to protect others but had no training to protect himself from the emotional cost of his work.
When he finally faced what he’d been avoiding, the transformation was powerful. His relationships improved. His sleep returned. His leadership deepened. But denial almost cost him everything.
My Own Blind Spots
I’ve had mine too.
Moments when urgency felt like pressure to my team. Moments when passion sounded like impatience. Times when my drive to help became a need to control outcomes.
The hardest part of leadership is that you can’t see yourself clearly without help. True growth requires people who are brave enough to hold up the mirror, and leaders humble enough to look.
How to Expose Your Blind Spots
Awareness doesn’t come from perfection. It comes from practice.
Here are five ways to shine light on what you can’t see:
Create Safe Feedback Loops. Ask trusted peers, “How do you experience me?” and receive their honest feedback without defensiveness.
Notice Repetition. If you keep hearing the same feedback, it’s not a coincidence; it’s your blind spot calling.
Invite Diversity. Surround yourself with people who think differently. Comfort breeds blindness. Diversity breeds awareness.
Practice Humility Daily. Own mistakes. Apologize quickly. Humility is the antidote to self-deception.
Commit to Ongoing Reflection. Utilize journaling, coaching, or therapy to explore the hidden aspects of yourself. Awareness is a continuous process, not a one-time event.
The Brain on Awareness vs. Denial
Here’s the science: your prefrontal cortex is the part of your brain that allows self-awareness, reflection, and empathy. Denial shuts that part down and activates the amygdala, the brain’s threat detector. When leaders operate from the amygdala, they lead from reactivity and fear instead of clarity and connection.
Awareness activates regulation. Regulation restores connection. Connection rebuilds trust. That’s how leaders rise — not by being perfect, but by being present.
Reflection Prompts for Leaders
Take a moment with these:
What feedback have I resisted because it made me uncomfortable?
Where might my tone, pace, or behavior unintentionally create harm?
Who can I trust to hold up the mirror when I can’t see myself clearly?
The Cost of Blindness
Leaders aren’t destroyed by what they know. They’re destroyed by what they refuse to see. Blind spots break leaders, but awareness rebuilds them. If you want to lead well, be humble enough to ask, brave enough to listen, and wise enough to see what you’d rather avoid.
When you choose awareness over ego, your leadership becomes safer, stronger, and infinitely more effective.
Ready to Rise as a Trauma-Informed Leader?
If this message resonates, there’s a reason. You’re ready to lead differently — with awareness, empathy, and strength that lasts.
Join the RISEUP Phoenix Trauma-Informed Leadership Course + Community, where leaders learn to integrate neuroscience, emotional regulation, and tactical resilience into real-world impact.
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When seconds matter, recovery begins with readiness.
