Ep 50: Seeing through the Hidden Blindspots of Leadership with Cyrus Aram
Wed Jan 28 2026
In this milestone 50th episode of the Unleashing Leaders podcast, host Lee Scott and guest Cyrus Aram shine a light on hidden blind spots of leadership. They discuss Cyrus's unique international experiences and early career challenges that revealed patterns in blind spots. Through stories of massive and micro scale changes, Cyrus shares how he learned how there are always blindspots and how to spot and reveal them, generally before the bite you. He then offers practical tips on a few blind spot antidotes: keeping culture front and center, navigating conflict resolution frameworks, leading customer-centric process changes, and balancing strategic and operational thinking. Cyrus emphasizes the need for both mentors and champions in one's career and shares valuable insights on how to find and access their wisdom effectively.
Takeaways:
Spotting the hidden cultural canaries that can derail mega changes (Bagel lady) Recognize and address team conflict with ABC (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence) Overcoming internal bias by improving processes from the outside-in (Customer-centric) Differentiate and leverage both Mentors and Champions Picking up the cues when to be Strategic vs Operational Learning to read the micro-expressions and behaviors (Poker Tells) Additional Resources:
Cyrus Aram, CEO Unleashing Leaders, Faculty Professor UC Davis Graduate School of Management, Tedx Talk Speaker:
Linkedin-personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrus-aram-688b1437/
Linkedin-UL company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unleashingleaders/ Ted Talk - Uncertainty Tolerated: https://www.ted.com/talks/cyrus_aram_uncertainty_tolerated_the_surprising_clarity_when_managing_ambiguity
Escape from Tehran by Dr. Assad Aram. https://www.amazon.com/Escape-Tehran-Assad-Aram/dp/1492347620
Attend Unleashing Leaders University: https://unleashingleadersuniversity.com/purchase
Learn more about Unleashing Leaders: https://unleashingleaders.com/
Follow Unleashing Leaders on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unleashingleaders
Connect with Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeallenscott/
Follow Unleashing Leaders on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnleashingLeaders/
Follow Unleashing Leaders on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unleashingleaders/
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In this milestone 50th episode of the Unleashing Leaders podcast, host Lee Scott and guest Cyrus Aram shine a light on hidden blind spots of leadership. They discuss Cyrus's unique international experiences and early career challenges that revealed patterns in blind spots. Through stories of massive and micro scale changes, Cyrus shares how he learned how there are always blindspots and how to spot and reveal them, generally before the bite you. He then offers practical tips on a few blind spot antidotes: keeping culture front and center, navigating conflict resolution frameworks, leading customer-centric process changes, and balancing strategic and operational thinking. Cyrus emphasizes the need for both mentors and champions in one's career and shares valuable insights on how to find and access their wisdom effectively. Takeaways: Spotting the hidden cultural canaries that can derail mega changes (Bagel lady) Recognize and address team conflict with ABC (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence) Overcoming internal bias by improving processes from the outside-in (Customer-centric) Differentiate and leverage both Mentors and Champions Picking up the cues when to be Strategic vs Operational Learning to read the micro-expressions and behaviors (Poker Tells) Additional Resources: Cyrus Aram, CEO Unleashing Leaders, Faculty Professor UC Davis Graduate School of Management, Tedx Talk Speaker: Linkedin-personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrus-aram-688b1437/ Linkedin-UL company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unleashingleaders/ Ted Talk - Uncertainty Tolerated: https://www.ted.com/talks/cyrus_aram_uncertainty_tolerated_the_surprising_clarity_when_managing_ambiguity Escape from Tehran by Dr. Assad Aram. https://www.amazon.com/Escape-Tehran-Assad-Aram/dp/1492347620 Attend Unleashing Leaders University: https://unleashingleadersuniversity.com/purchase Learn more about Unleashing Leaders: https://unleashingleaders.com/ Follow Unleashing Leaders on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unleashingleaders Connect with Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeallenscott/ Follow Unleashing Leaders on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnleashingLeaders/ Follow Unleashing Leaders on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unleashingleaders/