The Lawyers Blind Spots & Brilliance Diagnostic

A Self-Awareness Exercise for Career Acceleration

Your strengths get you hired. Your blind spots determine how far you go.

By the end of this exercise, you will be able to:

  • Identify your top behavioural strengths at work

  • Recognise how those strengths can become blind spots under pressure

  • Understand how senior lawyers and clients may perceive them

  • Spot early signs of being “typecast” in your role

  • Create one practical behaviour shift that improves your visibility, credibility, or relationships

This isn’t about fixing weaknesses. It’s about understanding how your greatest strengths can become the very things that limit your progression if they’re overused, misunderstood, or invisible.

Now, grab that notebook and pen and let’s get started…

Rate each statement from:

1 = Rarely true of me
5 = Almost always true of me

Performance & Work Style

  1. I pride myself on being highly detail-oriented and precise

  2. I rarely say no to work, even when my plate is full

  3. I like to be the person who “fixes” problems for others

  4. I work independently and don’t like needing much input

  5. I prefer clear instructions rather than open-ended tasks

Communication & Relationships

6. I tend to think before I speak in meetings

7. I’m comfortable challenging ideas I disagree with

8. I try to keep things professional rather than personal

9. I often adapt my style depending on who I’m dealing with

10. I prefer written communication over verbal

Ambition & Mindset

11. I measure my success by how hard I work

12. I like to be seen as reliable and low-risk

13. I feel uncomfortable promoting my own achievements

14. I get frustrated when others don’t meet my standards

15. I prefer mastering technical skills over building relationships

  • Strength - High Standards

    Potential Blind Spot - Perfectionism that slows you down

  • Strength - Dependability

    Potential Blind Spot - Burnout & Resentment

  • Strength - Problem Solving

    Potential Blind Spot - Taking on work that isn’t yours

  • Strength - Independence

    Potential Blind Spot - Being seen as uncollaborative

  • Strength - Structure

    Potential Blind Spot - Avoiding leadership ambiguity

  • Strength - Thoughtfulness

    Potential Blind Spot - Being overlooked in meetings

  • Strength - Confidence

    Potential Blind Spot - Coming across as combative

  • Strength - Professionalism

    Potential Blind Spot - Seeming distant or cold

  • Strength - Adaptable

    Potential Blind Spot - Losing your own voice and playing small

  • Strength - Precision

    Potential Blind Spot - Avoiding conversations for fear of discomfort

  • Strength - Work ethic

    Potential Blind Spot - Confusing effort with impact

  • Strength - Safety

    Potential Blind Spot - Becoming invisible

  • Strength - Humility

    Potential Blind Spot - Being under-appreciated or given little deserved credit

  • Strength - Excellence

    Potential Blind Spot - Becoming difficult to work with

  • Strength - Expertise

    Potential Blind Spot - Neglecting relationships

Your Career Mirror

Time to be honest with yourself.

  1. If my supervising partner gave me one piece of “polite but honest” feedback, what would it be?

  2. When I’m under pressure, what do I default to — control, silence, speed, or withdrawal?

  3. What do people rely on me for — and what do they never ask me to do?

The Visualisation

Take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Calm.

Now imagine yourself in three years time. You’ve been in your first meeting as a Senior lawyer or partner discussing your growing practice. There were honest thoughts given and exciting ideas discussed. You were confident, humble and excited to be at the table.

Now ask:

“What about me would make this firm trust me with clients, money, and reputation — and what might quietly hold them back?”

Action Commitment

My most likely blind spot:

One small behaviour I will test for the next 30 days:

Who will notice this change first:

How I’ll know it’s working: