Why well-meaning managers unknowingly create the workplace problems they’re trying to solve
Most managers believe they’re doing right by their teams. They praise publicly, offer career guidance, and try to connect with employees on a personal level. Yet despite these good intentions, it’s common for leaders to unknowingly engage in behaviors that erode the very trust and motivation they’re trying to build.
Jason Morris, Owner and CEO of Profit Engine, a specialized link-building agency, has observed these patterns throughout his years leading teams in the competitive digital marketing space. “The gap between what bosses think they’re doing and how employees actually experience their leadership can be massive,” says Jason. “Some of the most well-meaning managers are inadvertently creating the exact workplace dynamics they’re trying to avoid.”
Drawing from his experience managing diverse teams and witnessing these dynamics across the industry, Jason identifies five specific behaviors that employees consistently find frustrating, yet rarely voice directly to their supervisors.
5 Leadership Blind Spots That Are Quietly Sabotaging Your Team
- Rewarding Loud Presence Over Quiet Performance
The squeaky wheel gets the grease – and often the promotion too. Managers often unconsciously favor employees who speak up in meetings, volunteer for high-visibility projects, or simply have more extroverted personalities. Meanwhile, the steady performers who consistently deliver quality work without fanfare get overlooked.
“I’ve seen this destroy team morale more times than I can count,” Jason explains. “You have someone who’s been quietly carrying the team for months, and then the person who speaks loudest in meetings gets the recognition. The emotional impact is devastating, as it tells your best performers that their work doesn’t matter as much as their volume.”
This pattern breeds resentment and teaches employees that performance takes a backseat to politics. The quiet achievers start questioning their value, while others learn to prioritize visibility over substance.
- Selective Bonding That Creates Inner Circles
Every manager has employees they naturally click with, whether it’s due to similar backgrounds, shared interests, or simply compatible personalities. The problem arises when these natural connections translate into professional advantages. Some team members get invited to informal coffee chats, others don’t. Certain employees receive more face time, better project assignments, or advance notice about changes.
“When you create an inner circle, even unintentionally, you’re essentially telling everyone else they’re second-class citizens in their own workplace,” Jason notes. “The employees on the outside feel it immediately, and it kills their engagement.”
- Public Praise, Private Criticism – But Never Asking for Feedback
Most leaders follow the textbook advice: praise publicly, criticize privately. But they stop there. They never flip the script and ask their team members for feedback on their own performance. This one-way street creates an imbalanced power dynamic where leaders dish out judgment but never subject themselves to the same scrutiny.
Employees notice this double standard. They watch their boss evaluate everyone else’s performance while remaining seemingly above reproach themselves. “It sends the message that feedback only flows downward,” Jason observes. “Your team starts to see you as someone who can’t handle being questioned, which makes them less likely to bring up real problems.”
- Overpromising Career Progression With No Follow-Through
During performance reviews and one-on-ones, it’s common for managers to paint rosy pictures of future opportunities. “We see you moving into a leadership role,” or “There’s definitely room for growth here.” These statements usually feel supportive in the moment, but when months pass without concrete steps toward these goals, employees can end up feeling misled.
“Empty promises about career advancement are worse than no promises at all,” Jason says. “At least with honesty, people can make informed decisions about their future. When you string someone along with vague assurances, you’re stealing their time and preventing them from pursuing real opportunities elsewhere.”
- Turning Every Meeting Into a Performance Moment
Some leaders treat every team interaction as an opportunity to demonstrate their authority or expertise. They dominate discussions, interrupt with their own stories, or use meetings to showcase their knowledge rather than facilitate genuine collaboration. What should be working sessions become one-person shows.
This behavior signals to employees that their input isn’t valued. Team members start disengaging, contributing less, and viewing meetings as time to endure rather than opportunities to contribute. “When every meeting becomes about the boss performing, you lose the collective intelligence of your team,” Jason explains.
How to Build Balanced Leadership Relationships
Recognizing these patterns is the first step, but correction requires intentional action. Jason suggests four practical approaches:
- Create structured recognition systems that capture different types of contributions, not just the most visible ones. Track achievements across various work styles and make sure quieter performers get equal spotlight.
- Implement regular feedback exchanges where team members evaluate leadership performance just as leaders evaluate theirs. “If you want honest communication, you have to model it by being open to criticism yourself,” Jason advises.
- Establish clear, measurable career development plans with specific timelines and concrete steps. Replace vague promises with actionable roadmaps that both parties can track.
- Designate specific team members to lead different meetings or discussions, rotating the spotlight and ensuring everyone’s voice gets heard. This prevents any single person (including the boss) from dominating every conversation.
Jason Morris, Owner and CEO of Profit Engine, commented:
“Leadership blind spots develop because we get comfortable in our authority and stop questioning our own impact. Most managers rise through the ranks because they were good individual contributors, but managing people requires a completely different skill set.
“The hardest part about correcting these patterns is that they often come from good intentions. You praise the vocal employee because you think they’re engaged. You connect more with certain team members because those relationships feel natural. But impact matters more than intention.
“The most effective leaders I’ve encountered are those who regularly examine their own behavior through their team’s eyes. They ask uncomfortable questions: ‘Am I playing favorites?’ ‘Do I dominate conversations?’ Your team will respect you more for acknowledging your blind spots than for pretending you don’t have any.”