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Hi Reader,
I want to share something with you that might be uncomfortable.
Your team talks about you when you leave the room. Not behind your back. Not maliciously. But honestly, in a way they would never say to your face.
Dr. Block calls this your “shadow reputation.” It’s the version of your leadership that exists in the hallways, in the group chats, in the way your team describes you to their partners when they get home.
And here’s the thing: it’s almost never what you think it is.
Leaders who see themselves as decisive are often described as “doesn’t listen.”
Leaders who see themselves as supportive are often described as “avoids conflict.”
Leaders who see themselves as high-performing are often described as “impossible to keep up with.”
None of these are wrong. They’re just different angles of the same behavior. Your intention is one thing. Your impact is another. And your team is living inside the impact.
Dr. Block shared something recently that stuck with me: “The most dangerous gap in leadership isn’t between what you know and what you don’t. It’s between who you think you are and who your team experiences you to be.”
Here’s why this matters to you:
Your shadow reputation is the reason your best people stay or leave. It’s the reason your team brings you problems early or waits until they’re crises. It’s the reason people volunteer for your projects or quietly avoid them. And you can’t manage it until you know what it is.
So here’s a question to carry with you this week: If your most trusted team member had to describe your leadership to a stranger in two sentences, what would they say?
Sit with that. And if you’re brave enough, ask one of them. You might be surprised. You might be relieved. Either way, you’ll know something you didn’t before.
And that’s always the first step.
Love,
Kayla
Dubai, New York, London
Representing Dr. Corrie Block; PhD, DBA
corrieblock.com
P.S. If you actually ask someone, reply and tell me what happened. These stories are what keep this community alive.
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