Being “in-the-box” directly impacts our ability to influence as leaders.

Being “in-the-box” is when we see people as objects; not humans. We may see them as threats. We may see them as less than ourselves. We may see them as working FOR us vs working WITH us. They become the source of our problems. We don’t see their needs as legitimate as ours & treat them accordingly. We are self-deceived. We may not even know we’re doing this. However, as humans, we are intuitive. We know when this is happening TO US. We often respond to how someone is feeling about us on the inside vs their outward actions.

Being in-the-box directly impacts our ability to influence as leaders. We think we are being authentic, but our teams see right through us. We act with a filter – oftentimes to prove ourselves right.

Related: Read Alison Rayfield’s Book Review for “Leadership and Self Deception,” from which these ideas are drawn.