Not every organization suffers from leadership disconnection, but many do — and the larger and more layered the company, the more common it becomes. The problem is subtle. At the top, leaders believe they see the full picture. In reality, they often only see what the reporting layer chooses to show.
This is corporate blindness: when executives lose visibility beyond their immediate circle, and the narrative is shaped, filtered, or distorted by those below. It creates a hidden power struggle between leadership levels that erodes alignment and weakens execution.
The Hidden Dynamic: Tell Down / Prove Up
In multi-layered organizations, leadership often functions less like a support system and more like a ladder. Each rung is defined by “tell down” and “prove up”:
- Executives adopt the mindset: “I’ve earned this spot. I’m the general — do as I say.” Authority becomes decree, not support.
- Middle managers live in the squeeze. They’re told to align unquestioningly while working to prove they deserve a seat at the next table. Their expertise is often ignored, yet they control much of the narrative executives hear.
- Supervisors are left to survive. With managers protecting themselves above and employees pushing below, they feel the least supported yet carry the most immediate impact on execution.
The result? Everyone is looking upward for approval and downward with control — while few are supporting across.
Echo Chamber Leadership
Another driver of corporate blindness is what I call echo chamber leadership. Many CEOs surround themselves with a circle of loyal colleagues or long-time associates. Loyalty creates comfort, but it can unintentionally breed blindness.
In an echo chamber, competence takes a back seat to allegiance. The inner circle reinforces the leader’s perspective, softening or silencing hard truths. Alignment becomes obedience, and execution becomes compliance. Instead of listening and supporting, this group dictates downward — amplifying disconnection across leadership levels.
The danger is clear: when a CEO only hears echoes of their own voice, the organization loses its most important check on arrogance. And in that silence, performance eventually suffers.
The Consequences of Blindness
Corporate blindness isn’t just a leadership quirk; it carries heavy consequences:
- False confidence: Executives believe alignment exists when it’s really compliance.
- Stalled execution: Strategies falter because gaps are never surfaced honestly.
- Cultural erosion: Employees recognize the disconnect, disengage, and eventually leave.
The larger the organization, the more layers separate executives from employees — and the more vulnerable the system becomes to blindness.
The Path Forward: Support Across
The antidote to corporate blindness isn’t more command. It’s a leadership system built on support across layers:
- Executives → Managers: Translate vision into usable systems and respect operational realities.
- Managers → Supervisors: Coach and equip, not just direct.
- Supervisors → Employees: Provide clarity and consistency, so culture feels real.
When leaders support across rather than telling down and proving up, alignment becomes genuine. Culture strengthens, execution accelerates, and the blind spots shrink.
Closing Thought
Corporate blindness may not exist in every company, but where it does, it quietly undermines performance. The question isn’t whether you’re a smart enough leader — it’s whether you’ve built a system that challenges arrogance, prevents echo chambers, and reinforces support across every leadership level.
👉 Reflection: If you’re in the C-suite, do you truly know what’s happening two layers below you — or only what’s being narrated upward?
