PPP 489 | Blindspots That Derail Project Managers and How To See Them, with author Marty Dubin

Summary

In this episode, Andy talks with Martin Dubin, psychologist, former CEO, executive coach, and author of Blindspotting: How to See What's Holding You Back as a Leader. Marty brings a rare combination of clinical insight and real-world leadership experience to a topic that affects every project manager and frontline leader: the blindspots that quietly shape our behavior, decisions, and impact.

Together, the discussion explores how motives often drive our actions without us realizing it, why strengths can become liabilities when overused, and how emotion acts as one of the most powerful and least discussed forces in leadership. Marty explains his layered model of blindspots, including identity, motive, traits, emotion, and behavior, and shows how leaders can build awareness without trying to "fix" who they are.

You will also hear practical guidance on creating a simple change plan that actually sticks, using small behavioral tweaks, prompts, and accountability rather than dramatic personal transformation. The conversation closes with thoughtful examples of how blindspotting can improve not only leadership at work, but relationships at home as well.

If you want practical insight into leading with greater self-awareness, emotional range, and intentional growth, this episode is for you!

Sound Bites

• "The hardest part of leadership is not managing others. It's managing ourselves."
• "Your strengths work for you most of the time, which is why it's so hard to see when they start working against you."
• "You know, whatever it is, it's usually invisible to us until someone or something forces it into view."
• "Now, if you put the modifier TOO in front of it, what happens when you're TOO confident? What happens when you're TOO organized? What happens when you're TOO creative?"
• "What do they tell you? You are too...."
• "Motives constrict under stress, and that's often when blindspots do the most damage."
• "Traits don't need to be changed. They need to be regulated."
• "Emotion is one of the most powerful tools leaders have, whether they use it intentionally or not."
• "Real change comes from small behavioral tweaks, not personality transformation."

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:42 Start of Interview
• 02:00 Marty's Background and Family Influence
• 05:38 What Drives Marty Crazy About Leadership Books
• 08:20 Identity Blindspots and Leadership Roles
• 11:00 Why Motive Is So Hard to See
• 13:00 Using Emotion to Reveal Motives
• 14:00 When Strengths Become Weaknesses
• 17:50 Practical Ways to Spot Trait Blindspots
• 19:00 Emotional Awareness and Leadership Influence
• 21:10 Regulating Emotion Versus Repressing It
• 22:50 Building a Change Plan That Works
• 26:20 A Client Story That Shows Blindspotting in Action
• 28:20 Applying Blindspotting to Parenting (and Grandparenting)
• 30:14 End of Interview
• 30:45 Andy Comments After the Interview
• 35:42 Outtakes

Learn More

You can learn more about Marty and his work at MartinDubin.com.

For more learning on this topic, check out:

• Episode 473 with Jeffrey Hull and Margaret Moore, who share rigorously researched insights on what it takes to lead.
• Episode 450 with Mark Miller, an engaging and empowering discussion about why leaders fail and how they grow.
• Episode 32 with Brad Kolar and Madeleine Van Hecke, exploring how the way our brains are wired influences how we lead.

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Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Topics: Leadership, Self-Awareness, Emotional Intelligence, Motivation, Personality Traits, Behavior Change, Executive Coaching, Identity, Influence, Team Leadership, Blind Spots

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Imagefilm 034 by Sascha Ende License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Fashion Corporate by Frank Schroeter License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license