The more experienced you get, the more dangerous your blind spots become. Not less, more.
In this episode of The Inner Edge, executive coach Janet Ioli unpacks the fifth leadership trap: judgment. It's the unconscious sorting mechanism that starts screening out the exact information a leader most needs to hear.
Janet tells the story of Priya, a client with multiple graduate degrees who plateaued for years after her boss described her as "too smart" to learn from others. Underneath that feedback was an automatic habit: sizing up whether someone was worth listening to, then tuning out the moment the answer was no.
This habit has a name: confirmation bias. It's not a character flaw. It's how the brain saves energy, but in leadership it becomes costly fast.
This is the sixth episode in an eight-part series on the seven leadership traps, based on Janet's upcoming book, Escape the Traps (releasing October 2026).
Chapters:
00:00:00 Why Expertise Creates Dangerous Blind Spots
00:00:43 Too Smart to Learn From Others
00:02:50 Janet's Own Judgment Trap, in Reverse
00:04:38 Naming Confirmation Bias
00:08:45 Curiosity as a Performance Multiplier
00:09:47 The Mirror Question and Beginner's Mind
0:12:53 Next Episode: Trap 6
Read the first chapter of Escape The Traps (available October 2026): https://mailchi.mp/5d2dbf42009c/escape-the-traps-chapter
Which trap is running you? Take the quiz and find out: https://tally.so/r/lb4Z4p
Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint
- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others
- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order
Connect with Janet Ioli:
Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.
Produced by Ideablossoms
