Stuck? Ask Someone Else to Read the Label
September 25, 2025 | By David M. Wagner
“It’s difficult to read the label from inside the jar.”
There’s so much wisdom in that simple metaphor. And I was reminded of it recently when helping a client identify their values.
They were frustrated: completing a values discovery exercise felt daunting. Arbitrary. Maybe even pointless.
Until I pointed out a couple themes that connected their responses to that exercise, their career choice, and several conversations we had previously.
“Wow…I never would have named those for myself, but I can see how they run through every part of my life!”
It can be difficult to see ourselves – as individuals, or within an organization – as objectively as others can. Which is why asking someone else for help “reading the label” is such a powerful, usually low-cost way to elevate your leadership and improve your organization.
When to Ask for an Outside Perspective
Here are three great applications for getting an outsider’s take:
Identify your (individual) strengths. Whether you’re trying to develop within your existing role or prepare for a growth opportunity, it helps to lead with your strengths, understand what sets you apart from others, and recognize your accomplishments. If (like many leaders) you experience imposter syndrome, external validation can overcome any negative internal narratives you hold and show you how great others think you are.
Uncover your blind spots. You might not be aware of opportunities you’re missing to improve. Others may see you in a clearer light and have valuable suggestions for how you can continue your growth. One of my clients didn’t realize their team was losing confidence in their leadership (because they allowed a problematic supervisor to linger in their role for too long) until I shared that feedback from staff interviews.
Better understand your organization’s strengths and needs. It is hard to step back and see clearly how things are going when you’re “in it” every day. A partner and I recently helped a client organization realize that they were better off than they realized after recovering from a major challenge. Our independent assessment helped reframe their self-image and inspire excitement, rather than dread, about their next steps.
There are so many great ways to learn how you (or your organization) look from the outside.
As an individual, consider (in order of increasing effort):
Asking trusted colleagues to share their honest opinions of you
Completing a self-assessment (check out several popular options in this article from Forbes)
Asking your board for a performance review – especially a 360-degree review
Working with an executive coach
Organizations can benefit (again, in order of increasing effort) from:
Conducting stakeholder surveys (internal and/or external)
Commissioning stakeholder focus groups
Completing organizational self-assessments
Obtaining a formal independent assessment
What’s something about you or your organization that would be beneficial to know from an outsider’s perspective?
If you’d like help getting a clearer look at yourself as a leader or at your organization, let’s chat – I employ many of the techniques above to help my coaching and strategic planning clients get an objective take on their strengths and opportunities.