June, 2025 | 3min read
I told them … there might be crying. I was right!
I recently had the privilege of being the TA for a master’s program class: Leadership, Influence and the Successful Executive. The same program I graduated from almost 10 years ago, from McMaster University (MAC): Master of Communications Management.
Ohh mama, my cup was full!
Aslinn, who’s an all-star instructor, brought the right mix of content, discussion and guest speakers. And Terry, program director, set us up for success from the beginning!
On the last day, I had the pleasure of facilitating a values exploration exercise with the class. This was a condensed version of a larger values-based leadership development program I offer. During this segment …
We all laughed.
Some cried.
Everyone shared from a place of vulnerable leadership!
As this was happening, something shifted.
💥Real connection.
Not surface level stuff.
The kind of connection that builds trust and psychological safety.
Values blind spots
This happened partly as students discussed the blind spots of their values. Yes, each of our values have benefits and blind spots (drawbacks).
You see, as I continue to evolve my approach to leadership development, team engagement and coaching, I’ve realized that we don’t see the world as it is. We see the world from our perspective that’s based on experiences, triggers, trauma, successes, wins, etc.
Which means, life and perspective isn’t black or white, rather a whole lot of grey. I’m not talking 50 shades of grey – don’t make this weird 😁.
The same is true for our values.
If not managed well, barriers, drawbacks or blind spots will show up for our values. Context (the grey) for each value is critical.
Reflect on this
Everyone of us has values.
But self-awareness means we also ask: “Where might my values become my blind spots?”
That’s where growth happens.
As you identify how you can live and lead in further alignment with your values, consider answering the question:
- What are potential barriers, drawbacks or blind spots of this value if not managed well?
Here’s more on blind spots for common (leadership) values: BLIND SPOTS OF VALUES.
CONQUER YOUR POTENTIAL
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