Marty Dubin: Blindspotting

Martin Dubin is a clinical psychologist, serial entrepreneur, business coach, and adviser to C-suite executives and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. He has founded several companies, including a multimillion-dollar health-care company where he also served as CEO. He is the author of Blindspotting: How to See What’s Holding You Back as a Leader (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

Whenever I ask leaders, “What’s getting in the way of you moving forward?” the most common answer I hear is, “Myself.” In this episode, Marty and I explore what’s likely holding you back and how you can take the first steps to get traction.

Key Points

Many leaders don’t recognize the need for change and succumb to an identity blindspot.
You don’t have to change your identity, but there’s a mismatch between role and identity, that’s a major problem.
Shifting your identity is not changing who you are. Identities help us to sort through people and situations so we know who we are in relation to them.
An identity that many have worked before can get in the way today. Common ones are: imposter, independent thinker, rule follower, unworthy, entitled, rebel, and peacemaker.
Look back through your calendar over the past three months and determine how well your activities match up with the identity your role demands.
Embody the new identity you are aiming to shift to, even if you’re not yet feeling it.

Resources Mentioned

Blindspotting: How to See What’s Holding You Back as a Leader by Marty Dubin (Amazon, Bookshop)*

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

Six Questions Every Leader Should Ask Themselves, with Margaret Andrews (episode 750)
How to See What Others Miss, with Kirstin Ferguson (episode 758)
Show Up Better, Faster, with Claude Silver (episode 762)

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765: How to See What’s Holding You Back, with Marty Dubin

Coaching for Leaders