An Excerpt from Blindspotting: How to See What Others Miss
An excerpt from Blindspotting by Kirstin Ferguson, longlisted for the 2025 Porchlight Business Book Awards in the Leadership & Management category.
Be Honest. Be Curious. Be Flexible. What if the biggest obstacle to your success is something you can’t even see?
Intellectual humility, intellectual curiosity and cognitive flexibility can transform the way you lead, think and grow. In Blindspotting, award-winning leadership expert Dr Kirstin Ferguson reveals how the best leaders aren’t those with all the answers—they’re the ones who can say, ‘I don’t know . . . yet.’ In today’s fast-paced, polarized world, adaptability is the key to success. Whether you’re leading a global company, managing a small team, or simply striving for personal growth, Blindspotting equips you with practical tools to navigate uncertainty, foster stronger teams and spark breakthrough innovation. Through compelling stories and cutting-edge research, Ferguson uncovers the hidden forces shaping our decisions – often without us realizing it.
This isn’t just a leadership book—it’s a game changer for anyone who wants to see the world, and themselves, with fresh eyes.
Blindspotting been longlisted in the Leadership & Management category of Porchlight Book Company's 2025 Business Books Awards. The excerpt below is from the book's Introduction.
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INTELLECTUAL HUMILITY vs INTELLECTUAL HONESTY
The foundation of blindspotting hinges on the often overlooked theory of intellectual humility. While this concept has seen a surge of interest in academic circles over the last decade, particularly among psychologists and philosophers, it remains largely unfamiliar to the corporate world. And this isn’t entirely surprising. The term ‘humility’ can be a stumbling block for many leaders. It evokes unease, partly because humility is often misunderstood as a sign of weakness. Many leaders hear the word ‘humility’ and mistakenly think it requires diminishing themselves or displaying meekness in a way that detracts from their authority or confidence.
Standard dictionary definitions don’t help clear this up. The Oxford English Dictionary, for example, defines humility as ‘the quality of having a low opinion of oneself; meekness, lowliness, humbleness: the opposite of pride or haughtiness’. And Merriam-Webster describes humility as ‘freedom from pride or arrogance’. It’s no wonder many leaders, particularly those in high-pressure, high-stakes environments, view humility as something incompatible with the confidence and decisiveness their roles demand.
However, peeling back these definitions shows that humility—especially intellectual humility—is anything but a weakness. On the contrary, it’s a powerful tool for growth, innovation and adaptability. It allows us to acknowledge our limitations and gaps in knowledge, creating space for learning, collaboration and better decision-making. But even for those who recognise the value of humility, it can be an awkward term to embrace. After all, how often do we hear someone openly aspire to have humility? Or worse, boast about how humble they are? It’s jarring, to say the least.
That’s why in this book I have chosen to frame the conversation around intellectual honesty rather than intellectual humility. Not just because it’s more comfortable to use, but also because it’s more actionable. Where humility can feel abstract or even passive, honesty is something any leader can actively practise and demonstrate. It’s a way of engaging with the world, your team and yourself that demands transparency, self-awareness and a genuine commitment to seeking the truth.
That said, it’s important to clarify that we’re not simply swapping one term for another. Intellectual humility and intellectual honesty are distinct concepts, and both play crucial roles in the practice of blindspotting.
Intellectual humility and intellectual honesty are distinct concepts, and both play crucial roles in the practice of blindspotting.
While the two concepts are distinct, they do overlap in important ways. Humility allows us to step back, question our assumptions and acknowledge we don’t have all the answers. Honesty, on the other hand, pushes us forward—to critically engage with new information, challenge our biases and pursue the truth with integrity.
Both intellectual humility and intellectual honesty ask us to recognise our cognitive limitations and the biases that influence our thinking. Both require us to approach new information with an open mind and a willingness to be proven wrong. And both challenge us to seek truth over comfort, learning over ego.
In the context of blindspotting, intellectual humility and intellectual honesty are the twin pillars underpinning the Be Honest mindset to support our ability to see what others might miss. Together, they form a powerful, practical framework for decision-making, innovation and leadership in fast-moving, decision-driven environments.
In the chapters that follow, we’ll dive deeper into how you can master the mindset of intellectual honesty in your leadership and your organisation. We’ll explore how to identify and overcome the biases that cloud your judgement, how to cultivate intellectual humility without undermining your authority, and how to create environments where truth, learning and innovation can thrive. Together, these practices will help you master the art of blindspotting.
LET’S BEGIN THE JOURNEY OF BLINDSPOTTING
The journey you’re about to embark on will challenge you to think differently about leadership. It will ask you to question your assumptions, embrace ambiguity and remain open to learning. But in doing so, it will help you become a more effective leader—one who is better equipped to navigate the complexities of today’s world.
As you read through the following chapters, I encourage you to reflect on your own leadership journey. What assumptions have you made that need to be questioned? How can you foster a culture of curiosity and intellectual honesty within your organisation? Where do you think your blind spots might hide?
By the time you finish this book, you’ll not only understand the importance of blindspotting, but you’ll also have the tools to put it into practice. Whether you’re leading a team of two or two thousand, blindspotting empowers you to make smarter choices that will benefit you and those you impact.
Once you unlock the transformative power of blindspotting, it won’t just change the way you approach your work—it will redefine how you interact with the world around you and, most importantly, how you see and understand yourself.
It’s time to delve deeper into how this mindset can reshape your leadership, your decision-making and your ability to thrive in a rapidly changing world. So, let’s get started: the world of blindspotting is waiting, and the rewards are endless.
Excerpted from Blindspotting: How to See What Others Miss by Kirstin Ferguson. Copyright © 2025 by Kirstin Ferguson. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Dr. Kirstin Ferguson AM is an author, columnist and an expert in leadership and culture. Honored as one of the top 50 management thinkers globally, she received the prestigious Thinkers50 Distinguished Leadership Award in 2023. Kirstin's career began as an Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. She has also been the chief executive officer of an international consulting firm, as well as Acting Chair and Deputy Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Over 15 years as a company director, Kirstin contributed her expertise to numerous public, private and non-profit boards. Kirstin holds a PhD in leadership and culture, alongside honors degrees in Law and History. An adjunct professor at the Queensland University of Technology Business School, she was named QUT Outstanding Alumnus of the Year in 2020. Her contributions to business and gender equality were recognized in 2023 when she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). In 2024, she received the University of New South Wales Alumni Award for Professional Achievement. Since 2021, Kirstin has written a popular nationally syndicated column in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age, where she provides guidance on work, leadership and careers.
