Leadership Blind Spots: When Our Assumptions Masquerade as Truth

One of the easiest mistakes any of us can make, especially as leaders, is believing we are right. Thinking we see the world objectively, free from bias, pride, and prejudice.

The rise of science taught us to value observation and data and the rise of the modernist project freed us from superstition (mostly!), giving us confidence that what we can observe and record is value-free.

As we learned more about observations, researchers like those behind the Hawthorne effect showed us something unsettling: the very act of observing can change what’s happening.

Enter postmodernism and the linguistic turn, which challenged the idea that we can make purely objective descriptions. Instead, it argued that our words don’t just describe reality, they create it.

How does that work?

Thinkers like Fernando Flores and Alan Sieler, building on John Searle’s speech act theory, give us practical tools to work with and help. They make a crucial distinction between assertions (statements of fact) and assessments (subjective judgments), highlighting how much trouble we create when we treat assessments as if they are the truth.

As a leadership coach, I listen carefully for this in my clients’ language.

For example, a client may say:

“This team manager is really difficult.”

This sounds like a simple observation. But in reality, it’s an assessment, a viewpoint, not a fact. Yet, the leader sharing this belief holds onto it as though it were the truth.

If we don’t inquire into our assessments, we risk making flawed decisions that shape the way we lead, for better or worse.

What a Coach Listens for

As a coach, my role is to help leaders unpack their assessments before acting on them. Here are some of the questions I might ask:

What standard are you applying when you say ‘difficult’? What would ‘easy’ look like?

Can you tell me more about the context?

What does believing them to be difficult take care of for you?

Can you give me some examples? What evidence is there to support your view?

Is there any evidence is there that challenges your view?

What does holding this view close down for you? What does it make possible?

Each of these questions is designed to help shift the leader from an unexamined belief to a grounded, evidence-based assessment.

Why This Matters for Leadership

How we define an issue, or an opportunity, shapes our response.

If we act on what we assume is ‘the truth’ about a situation, without grounding our assessments, our decisions are likely to be:

Misguided at best

Costly at worst, both financially and team morale/motivation

Unfounded beliefs also make us vulnerable to another leadership pitfall:

The assumption that if others don’t share our viewpoint, they must be fundamentally wrong, or even flawed as people.

See the danger? We go from “I disagree with them” to discrediting their essence as a person. That’s a sure way to erode trust, create division, and weaken a team. It disintegrates that sense of belonging so valuable to learning and growth.

How Leaders Can Avoid This?

Here’s a simple, practical approach to avoid leading from unexamined assessments:

Notice when you’re making an assessment

It always starts with self-awareness. What belief am I holding? What is this assessment taking care of for me?

Enquiry over advocacy, always

Before defending your belief, ask: What evidence is there to support or challenge this assessment?

Identify the standard you’re applying

Every assessment is based on a standard, whether explicit or not. Is the standard reasonable, fair, and relevant?

Assessments aren’t inherently bad. We make them all the time. When grounded in reality, they keep us safe, improve decision-making, and enable success. But left unchecked, they can trap us in a leadership blind spot, one that leads to flawed judgments, poor decisions, and strained relationships.

Final Thought

Great leaders don’t just think critically. They listen critically, to themselves as much as to others.

Next time you catch yourself making a strong assessment, about a colleague, a situation, or even yourself, pause. Ask:

Is this an assertion or an assessment?

What evidence do I have?

What assumptions am I making?

The more you practice this, the better your leadership decisions will become. And when in doubt? A skilled leadership coach can help you rake it through. You don’t have to do this alone.

Your turn: Have you ever realised you were acting on an ungrounded assumption? What helped you see it differently? Let’s talk!