Helping ambitious managers reclaim their time and be exceptional leaders. Weekly advice, how-tos and latest thinking to get you ahead.
The Story My Broken Hip Taught Me About Assumptions
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Hello, I've been thinking a lot lately about how wrong we can be about people, and how wrong they can be about us. In 2019, I broke my hip during an exercise class. One minute I was doing lunges, the next I had this shooting pain down my leg. For two weeks, I convinced myself it was just a pulled muscle. I mean, I hadn't fallen over or done anything dramatic, it couldn't possibly be broken, could it? Turns out, assumptions work both ways. When I finally got to A&E, the doctor decided I must have been drunk, fallen over, and forgotten about it. Despite me telling him that absolutely wasn't what happened, he wrote it on my file. For months afterwards, every doctor I saw would casually tell me to "stop drinking" because that's the story they'd been told. It's quite funny now, but at the time it was frustrating. Here I was, trying to understand why my hip had broken for seemingly no reason, and everyone was viewing me through this completely wrong lens. The thing is, we do this at work all the time. We decide someone is "difficult" or "not a team player" based on limited information. We create stories about why the marketing team never understands deadlines or why finance always blocks good ideas. And once these assumptions take hold, they drive real consequences - just like that doctor's assumption followed me around for months. In this week's video, I share three practical steps to break out of assumption-based thinking and start building the strategic relationships that actually move your career forward. Watch: The Leadership Blind Spot That Costs You Influence The truth is, most team problems aren't personality clashes, they're assumption problems. When you learn to get curious instead of judgmental, to ask questions instead of filling in gaps with stories, you become the manager people want to work with. You become the one they come to with problems. The one who gets invited into bigger conversations. That's strategic leadership in action and it starts with questioning what you think you know. Have a brilliant week, Helen P.S. Ready to build systems that support strategic leadership? Check out Manager OS. [Learn more] P.S. Want personalised support to break through the assumptions that are limiting your leadership impact? I work one-on-one with managers to build the strategic thinking and relationship skills that accelerate career progression. [Book a call to discuss] |
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Helping ambitious managers reclaim their time and be exceptional leaders. Weekly advice, how-tos and latest thinking to get you ahead.
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