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Have you ever had a boss who was… kind of a buffoon? Not evil, not stupid—just unaware of how they land.

In this episode of the Northbound Podcast, Chris breaks down why leadership usually fails: not because of bad intentions, but because self-awareness is missing. You'll learn how blind spots hide behind confidence, how power quietly shuts down honesty, and how "that's just how they are" becomes a culture that protects the wrong things.

Chris introduces the idea of "buffoon busting"—practical leadership work focused on identifying blind spots, auditing your language, building feedback loops, and creating a culture where clarity replaces chaos. This isn't about shaming leaders. It's about removing what's in the way so you can lead boldly, humbly, and with real credibility.

Main Points

• What "buffoon" really means

  • Not malicious, not stupid—often confident and well-intentioned.

  • The problem is impact without awareness (power used casually, language used carelessly).

  • "I didn't mean it that way" doesn't erase harm.

• How blind spots form

  • Blind spots don't announce themselves—they often look like confidence.

  • Power distorts feedback: the more power you have, the less truth you get.

  • Silence can become fake approval; laughter can replace honesty.

• Culture can calcify bad behavior

  • "That's just how he is" / "She didn't mean it like that" protects dysfunction.

  • Sometimes the "dirt bag" truly doesn't know—because no one tells them.

• Common blind spot categories

  • Language blind spots: "Relax, it was a joke," "You're too sensitive," "That's not what I meant" (invalidating/gaslighting).

  • Gender & identity blind spots: talking over, dismissing until repeated, mansplaining, commenting on tone/appearance instead of substance.

  • Emotional authority blind spots: using "intuition" to exclude; reframing dissent as ego/aggression; shutting down pushback.

  • Control confusion: mistaking leadership for control instead of creating belonging.

• Leadership behaviors that reveal blind spots

  • "Open door" leaders who punish honesty.

  • Favoritism disguised as trust (rewarding yes-people).

  • Asking for feedback but immediately defending or demanding examples to dismiss.

  • If feedback feels threatening, the blind spot is already active.

• The Northbound way forward

  • Being the buffoon isn't the failure—staying the buffoon is.

  • Replace certainty with curiosity:

    • "I missed that." "Tell me more." "What am I not seeing?"

  • Audit language, watch who goes quiet, notice who never challenges you.

  • Build structures: feedback loops, language/power audits, role play, coaching, "leadership mirror" sessions.

• Course / next steps

  • "Buffoon busting" course includes checklists, feedback sheets, deeper videos, and optional 1:1 Zoom coaching.

  • Focus: build a culture where clarity replaces crisis and chaos.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership breakdown is usually a self-awareness problem, not an intent problem.

• Power reduces honesty—leaders must design feedback back into their world.

• "That's just how they are" is a cultural excuse that protects dysfunction.

• Dissent isn't disloyalty—shutting it down creates blind spots and resentment.

• Credibility grows when leaders can say:

  • "I was wrong." "I'm sorry." "Help me understand."

• If nobody challenges you, that's not peace—that's data.