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Key Takeaways Recurring team problems are often less about the team and more about the leader — running an honest self-audit can reveal the blind spots driving the pattern.
Real leadership growth comes not from trying to fix everything at once, but from identifying one or two habits to refine while leaning into the strengths that already make you effective.
When something isn’t working on your team, it’s natural to look outward first.
We examine performance, processes, communication and accountability. We ask why people aren’t meeting expectations or why the same problems keep showing up. Sometimes those things are the issue. But over the years, I’ve learned that recurring leadership challenges often have a common denominator: me.
Before I make assumptions about my team, I try to run what I call an emotional pattern audit. These five questions help me identify blind spots before those blind spots become barriers.
1. What problem keeps showing up repeatedly?
One of my favorite tools for self-awareness is the Enneagram because it highlights how you behave when you’re thriving versus when you’re stressed. The greatest strength a leader can have is knowing their own weaknesses.
When I notice the same frustration appearing over and over again, I stop focusing on the individual situation and start looking for the pattern. If the same challenge keeps showing up with different people or under different circumstances, there’s usually something deeper worth examining. Patterns often reveal issues that a single event cannot.
2. What role might I be playing in that pattern?
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