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Every human being, leaders included, has blind spots. These arent flaws in character or failures of competence, theyre simply the unseen gaps between intention and impact. Most of us dont realize these blind spots are there until something goes wrong: a team misfires, communication breaks down, or feedback loops fall silent. But what if you could learn to detect, and even predict, those blind spots before they undermine your leadership? The key lies in understanding your leadership style, particularly through the lens of personality diversity. The Hidden Costs of Blind Spots Blind spots can take many forms: an overemphasis on results at the expense of relationships, an aversion to conflict that stifles honest feedback, or a tendency to micromanage when stressed. Often, these patterns emerge because were wired a certain way, with our habits of perception, communication, and decision-making shaped by our personality tendencies. When left unchecked, these tendencies become predictable pitfalls. And in the complex dynamics of todays hybrid, fast-moving workplaces, the cost of not seeing yourself clearly can be high: lost engagement, missed innovation, and eroded trust. Leadership Style Isn’t Just a Buzzword Understanding your leadership style isnt about fitting into a box, its about recognizing how you naturally lead, and where you might unintentionally lead others astray. One powerful approach comes from personality diversity frameworks like the E-Colors, which segment human behavior into four primary tendencies: Red (action oriented), Green (analytical), Yellow (social and optimistic), and Blue (empathetic and caring). Most people exhibit a combination of two dominant E-Colors, which shapes how they communicate, make decisions, handle pressure, and relate to others. For example: A leader with Red/Yellow tendencies may be dynamic and persuasive, but risk steamrolling quieter team members. A leader with Blue/Green tendencies, meanwhile, may be thoughtful and supportive, but struggle with quick decision-making under pressure. Recognizing these patterns is all about awareness. Once you understand your natural style, you begin to see not just what you bring to the table, but what you might be missing. Three steps to spot and manage your blind spots 1. Know Thyself (Really) Most leaders assume theyre self-aware. But research from Tasha Eurich and her team has shown that while 95% of people think theyre self-aware, only about 10% to 15% actually are. Personality assessments, when well-designed and behaviour-based, can act as a mirror that reflects back not just your strengths, but also your triggers and tendencies under stress. Ask yourself: What kind of situations bring out the best in me? When things go sideways, how do I typically react? What do others frequently thank me, or warn me, about? A Red/Green leader, for instance, may pride themselves on logic and decisiveness. But under pressure, that same logic can turn into coldness, and decisiveness into dismissiveness. Recognizing that pattern is the first step toward managing it. Leadership blind spots by personality style E-ColourCore StrengthsPotential Blind SpotsWhen Under Pressure Red (action oriented)Decisive, driven, results-focused, quick to actCan appear bossy or impatient, may override others’ input, struggles to listen deeplyMay become controlling, aggressive, or dismissive of emotions Green (analytical & logical)Detailed, logical, process-driven, focused on accuracyMay overanalyze, resist change, delay decisions, lacks emotional expressionCan withdraw, become overly critical, or shut down communication Yellow (social & optimistic)Enthusiastic, inspiring, people-centered, creativeMay talk over others, avoid structure, dismiss detail, or fail to follow throughMay become disorganized, reactive, or emotionally erratic Blue (caring & empathetic)Supportive, patient, dependable, relationship-focusedCan avoid conflict, resist fast decisions, fail to speak up, and over-accommodateMay become passive, disengaged, or overwhelmed by others’ needs 2. Invite honest feedback, then listen deeply Blind spots are, by definition, hard to see. Thats why intentional leaders proactively seek feedback, not just once a year, but as an ongoing dialog. The trick is not just asking for feedback but making it safe for others to give it. This is especially important when your leadership style may unintentionally discourage openness. For example, a Yellow/Red leader might radiate enthusiasm but dominate conversations, making it hard for others to express disagreement. By understanding this, they can slow down, ask more open-ended questions, and truly listen, creating space for perspectives they might otherwise miss. Try this: At your next team meeting, ask, Whats one thing I could do more of or less of to support your work better? And then say thank you. No justifications, no explanations, just listen. 3. Use Personality Diversity to Build Balanced Teams Diversity isnt just about backgrounds, its also about brains. A Yellow/Blue leader might be great at building a nurturing, collaborative culture but benefit from having a Red/Green colleague to inject structure and drive results. High-performing teams arent made up of people who all think alike, theyre made of people who understand how they think differently and can adapt accordingly. When team members know each others personality styles, theyre better equipped to resolve conflict, leverage strengths, and avoid collective blind spots. 4. Bridging Awareness and Action with Personal Intervention While recognizing your leadership blind spots is one thing, responding to them in the moment is another. Thats where Personal intervention becomes invaluable. While the lens of personality diversity allows you to identify your natural behaviors and preferences, Personal intervention is the actionable skill that allows you to pause, reflect, and choose your response, especially in those critical moments when your default tendencies might otherwise take over. At its core, Personal intervention is a simple but powerful self-regulation tool that empowers leaders to break free from autopilot reactions. Whether its choosing not to interrupt (if you’re naturally dominant), taking a stand (if you tend to avoid conflict), or slowing down your decision-making (if you’re overly action-oriented), personal intervention creates the space for intentional leadership. In high-pressure, emotional, or high-stakes situations, the very environments where blind spots often surface, this practice can be the difference between a reactive misstep and a response that aligns with your values, your vision, and the needs of your team. Developing this muscle of choice transforms awareness into action and helps leaders show up in ways that inspire trust, adaptability, and effectiveness. From Awareness to Action Spotting your blind spots is a practice built and refined over a lifetime. It means choosing response over reaction. It means embracing vulnerability and being willing to grow in public. It means moving from autopilot to intentional leadership. Understanding your leadership style is merely the first step to a more connected, more resilient, and more effective way to leadan evermore essential skill in a world that demands more humanity from our leadership than ever before.
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E-Commerce
Over the past three years, Ive changed email providers three times without ever changing email addresses. Thats because my address is entirely under my control. Instead of relying on an email that ends in gmail.com, yahoo.com, or the link, I can send and receive mail from my @jarednewman.com domain, which I can transfer between email providers at any time. This is called using a custom domain for email, and its one of the most liberating tech things Ive ever done. When Skiff Mail shut down in 2023, I simply packed up and moved to Proton Mail instead. And after getting frustrated with Protons limitations, I migrated over to Fastmail and took my address and messages with me. After I mentioned custom domains in my story about Proton and Fastmail last month, a bunch of folks asked for more details. Fair warning: Setting this up can be intimidating, but its worth the effort it you want to control a core piece of your online identity. This story first appeared in Jared’s Advisorator newsletter. Sign up to get more advice every Tuesday. Catch-all aliases in Fastmail Why you might want a custom email domain Freedom from your email provider: Being stuck with an address from your email provider represents a powerful kind of lock-in, because changing addresses is a hassle. Youll have to nag people to update their address books, and possibly set up forwarding rules so that emails continue to trickle in from your old address. Once youve committed to a custom domain and get everyone to use it, youll never have to make that effort again, and the biggest obstacle to switching email providers is gone. Id probably never have left Proton for Fastmail (which, so far, Im enjoying a lot more) if I had to switch addresses. Control over your logins: Most online services use your email address as your login, and while you might trust Google (or Yahoo, or another email provider) with that information, Id rather control it myself. If I want to switch email providers againor my email account gets shut down for some reasonit wont affect the logins Ive set up under my domain. More powerful aliases: Email aliases are a great way to tame your inbox. For instance, I have an address just for receiving newsletters, and I automatically filter them into a Newsletters folder when they arrive. If youre using Gmail, youd create an alias that looks like yourname+newsletters@gmail.com for this purpose. But marketers are learning to ignore these tricks, and you can do more with a custom domain. Fastmail, for instance, can take any alias you havent set up in advance and sort it into a folder. If a store asks for my email, for instance, I can give them nameofthatstore@jarednewman.com, and their mail will automatically land in a Junk folder. (This is especially useful for sites that block the use of masked email addresses.) Vanity purposes: If youre conducting business via email, an address like hello@yourname.com looks more professional than a Gmail or Outlook address. Its also a fun way to impress friends and family. Custom domain setup in Fastmail Potential pitfalls While having a custom domain for email is empowering, it comes with some baggage that Ive experienced firsthand. It costs money: Registering my jarednewman.com domain costs $30 per year (though Ive been paying that toll for years regardless), and most email providers charge extra to use a custom domain with their services. Setting it up can be intimidating: Connecting a custom domain requires digging into your sites DNS settings and following some very specific instructions from your email provider. Youll have to copy and paste a few lines of cryptic text, then hold your breath while waiting for new emails to go through. I still find this a bit nerve-racking, especially when switching a domain from one email provider to another. Some email providers will sell you a custom domain and set it up automatically, but be careful with this option. You may need to transfer the domain before switching email providers, otherwise you could lose access to your address. Exporting mail is another story: While a custom domain removes a major barrier to switching email providers, taking your old emails with you is a separate process. Each provider has its own import/export flow, and sorting through it takes extra time and effort. What it looks like to edit your DNS records How to get started Unless your email provider offers automatic setup youll need to register a domain name first. Cloudflare, iwantmyname, and namecheap are all solid registrars recommended by various email providers, and Google has a longer list of options here. After purchasing a domain, you can connect it with your email provider. Here are some notable email providers with custom domain support, what they charge for it, and links to their setup instructions: iCloud Mail: Requires iCloud+ ($1/mo. and up). Offers domain registration and automatic setup via CloudFlare. See instructions to purchase a domain or set up an existing one. Gmail: Requires Google Workspace ($7/mo. and up). See instructions. Fastmail: Subscription required ($5/mo. and up). Offers domain registration and automatic setup. (Important: If you use automatic setup and later decide to switch email providers, you must transfer the domain from Fastmail to a new registrar first.) See instructions. Proton Mail: Requires a paid plan ($5/mo. and up). See instructions. Zoho Mail: No subscription needed, though the free plan is buried here. See instructions. Want more practical tech advice like this? Sign up for my Advisorator newsletter and I’ll send you new tips every Tuesday.
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E-Commerce
Youve carried the weight of big decisions, the pressure to perform, to lead and deliver, all despite whats happening behind the scenes. Youve navigated through uncertainty and change, providing the space for everyone else to thrive. Its a feeling that the most capable leaders feel. Its not quite burnout, but a kind of dullness. A slow drain. A fog that creeps in quietly and makes it harder to stay clear, connected, and grounded. According to the World Health Organization, workplace stress and burnout now account for a significant portion of global absenteeism and reduced productivity, and the numbers continue to rise. Im seeing a common thread when I work with leaders across industries, whether that be law enforcement or wellness retreats. People arent running out of time, but theyre running out of energy. When energy drops, so does everything elseperformance, presence, and purpose. Its not about time, its about energy Weve all been taught to manage time. But the real performance driver isnt time, its energy. Energy is what allows you to think clearly in complexity, connect with others under pressure, and make confident decisions without tipping into fatigue. When your energy is low, you still function, but youre surviving, not thriving. This is where leadership needs to evolve. Rather than controlling outcomes, you need to sustain the people driving them. When youve optimized your energy, you can be more creative, consistent, and connected in your performance. A tool for performance and reflection To help people understand and manage their energy, my team and I developed a framework that assesses four key domains in under 60 seconds: Physical: Stamina and recovery Mental: Clarity and focus Emotional: Resilience and regulation Social: Connection and support Its not about perfect scores. Its about cultivating awareness and building habits that support performance and well-being, day after day. We call this Human Energy Intelligence. Its a measurable approach to well-being that fuels consistent output, healthy cultures, and resilient teams. From reactive to regenerative Many organizations rely on reactive strategies like Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). Theyre valuable, but in my observation, they tend to step in after burnout hits. Research from an Australian State Insurance Regulatory Authority shows that EAP usage rates often fall below 10%, despite widespread availability. A proactive Employee Empowerment Program focuses on daily energy management, equipping people with tools to recharge before breakdowns occur. This shift from “problem solving” to “performance enabling” creates environments where people dont just survive the demands of leadership, but grow through them. Leadership isnt lonely, it just feels that way One of my favorite things to do is to sit in nature with a leader, no agenda, no phone, just space and silence. And its always in those quiet moments that the truth surfaces: they talk about purpose, doubt, and the invisible weight they carry. And what Ive learned is this: even high-achieving leaders can feel deeply disconnectedfrom themselves, their teams, and their sense of clarity. Connected leadership changes that. It invites leaders to lead from within, not just in front. It encourages them to be real, rather than just responsible. Its not soft, its strategic. And its what the future of leadership demands. You cant scale burnout Across every sector Ive worked in, whether its elite performance or public service, one truth is clear: you cant scale outcomes without energy. People arent leaving jobs because of KPIs. Theyre leaving because they feel exhausted, unseen, or disconnected. According to McKinseys 2023 Health Institute Report, over 60% of employees globally report struggling with their well-being at work. After all, culture isnt just what happens between colleagues; its how people feel inside themselves. And leadership has a direct impact on that internal state. So consider asking yourself, Hows the battery? If youve been running on autopilot lately, powering through but feeling foggy, reactive, or a little flat, that matters. Because what you build out there will only go as far as what you sustain inside. So, take a moment. Breathe. And ask yourself: Hows your battery, really?
Category:
E-Commerce
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