1.5 - About University

15.3T HE J OHARI W INDOW: WHAT Y OUD ON’ T K NOW C AN H URT Y OUInspired by Phillip Hanson, Joe Luft, and Harry Ingham.As human beings, we play very different roles with different people. This makes two bedrockaspects of effective leadership very difficult—self-awareness and asking for feedback. TheJoHari window, so named after its founders, Joe Luft and Harry Ingham, illustrates aspects ofpersonality (interests, values, views), and is aimed at helping people think about how theyrelate with others, and about their need to know themselves and be open to feedback from others.The four panes of the window are:➠➠➠➠Known or Open area, characterized by a leader’s free and open communication with others.Facade or Hidden area, the area where a leader feels vulnerable and hides from others.Blind Spot, the area where a leader doesn’t know how his or her behavior affects others,but others know.Unknown area, encompassing such indistinct or inexpressible areas as deep fears, earlychildhood memories, latent potentials, and unrecognized resources.OthersknowOthersdo notknowLeader knowsKnown/OpenFaçade/HiddenLeader does not knowPossibilities for forinsightBlind SpotPossibilities forinsightUnknownUnconsciousThe JoHari model can be used to describe a number of leadership stances, four of which areillustrated here.The Ideal Window. With a large Known/Open pane, these leaders are open, nondefensive,self-aware, and willing to sharing information, thoughts, and feelings. Thiscan be overdone, however, and casual acquaintances may see too much sharing asthreatening or naive. [☛ 15.2 Emotional Intelligence]The Interviewer. With a large Facade/Hidden pane, these leaders’ fears don’t allow fortesting views or information in public. A large Facade area causes leaders to ask questionsbut withhold their own views, interests, and needs, leaving others to wonderwhere they are coming from. Without exposure and challenge, however, a leader’sassumptions become outdated and, over time, limit his or her effectiveness. [☛ 15.6Defenses]SECTION 15 TOOLS FOR TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF 459