The Leadership Skill Most People Think They Have—But Don’t

Rachel Cossar

Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Conversations in the Future of Work, a talk show all about where we’re going in the future, where leaders are going, what demands there are on our leaders, and how we can solve those challenges.

I’m very excited to welcome a special guest today, all the way from Peru, Ximena Miro Quesada. Welcome.

Ximena Miro Quesada

Thank you, Rachel, and thank you for this amazing opportunity to talk about the future of work.

I’m based in Peru, and I work at Korn Ferry as a Principal. My main role is advising CEOs, boards, and leadership teams across Latin America on executive search, leadership, and organizational strategy.

I focus on building high-performance leadership pipelines and supporting transformation across sectors like mining, financial services, and industrials.

I’m very happy to be here with you and to share ideas about the future of work.

Rachel Cossar

Wonderful. Thank you.

As we were building out this season, we thought it would be fascinating to speak with someone in your position who is at the epicenter of both the demands organizations have for leadership and the leaders themselves who are presenting themselves for these opportunities.

I’d love to dive right in. In your conversations with organizations and leaders, what do you find are the main leadership skills that most people believe they have, but when it comes down to it, they may not actually demonstrate as strongly as they think?

Ximena Miro Quesada

That’s a very interesting question and something we’ve talked a lot about at Korn Ferry and with our clients.

I would have to say that the leadership skill most people believe they have, but often don’t, is self-awareness.

We’ve found that nearly 79% of executives have at least one leadership blind spot, meaning they think they’re strong in a particular skill, but their colleagues actually experience that same thing as a weakness.

This gap exists because leaders judge themselves by their intentions, while their team members judge them by what they actually do. They experience their impact, not their intention.

A leader may have a certain intention, but that isn’t necessarily what their coworkers or team members experience through their behavior.

Something we’re doing now is working extensively with AI to support leaders in their development by exposing these blind spots in completely different ways.

For example, imagine a manager preparing to deliver difficult feedback to a senior team member. That person can practice the conversation and receive input on whether their tone comes across as overly direct or perhaps insufficiently clear.

These AI tools are no longer theoretical. AI-enabled simulations and role-playing are now being integrated into leadership development platforms.

Rachel Cossar

It’s fascinating because there are a number of things you said that I think are really important.

First, there’s this interesting difference between a leader’s perception of themselves, which is based on their intentions, and how the people on the receiving end actually experience their leadership.

A leader might say, “I want to lead with empathy. It’s my intention to make everyone feel welcome.” But the people experiencing that leadership may not actually see those intentions reflected in the leader’s behavior.

That’s fascinating.

At Virtual Sapiens, we use role plays to help leaders make sure their communication is actually landing, particularly in high-pressure or difficult situations.

But before you get there, how do you identify those blind spots when leaders themselves aren’t aware of them? Is it through assessments or 360-degree feedback?

Ximena Miro Quesada

A very important tool is the 360-degree evaluation.

What’s interesting is that we used to have these evaluations perhaps once a year. Some companies might do them twice a year, but not many.

Now, thanks to AI, feedback can become more continuous.

It depends on the leader and how they want to prepare for what’s coming next. They now have tools available to help them understand how they’re coming across to others.

Tools like the ones you have at Virtual Sapiens are helping make this something leaders can work on daily. They can practice and receive feedback in a safe environment.

If leaders have a growth mindset, they can hear that feedback in a safe space and work on becoming better leaders.

In that sense, this is actually a revolution in leadership development.

Rachel Cossar

I think that’s really interesting because sometimes we hear from prospects, clients, or partners who are doubtful that top-level leaders will take the time to use AI tools or trust and value the feedback AI gives them.

We’ve found that’s not the case, and it sounds like you’re seeing something similar. These leaders are, in fact, interacting with these AI tools.

Ximena Miro Quesada

They are.

It’s also an opportunity for leaders to see their own blind spots more accurately.

Leadership naturally creates distance from honest feedback. As leaders gain authority, people become less likely to challenge them directly or share uncomfortable truths.

There’s also a psychological tendency to protect our own self-image. Leaders may unintentionally filter feedback, defend familiar behaviors, or interpret criticism as a threat rather than as a growth opportunity.

AI tools are playing a very interesting role because they can provide consistent feedback and judgment-free practice environments.

Leaders are becoming increasingly open to working with that.

Rachel Cossar

That’s music to my ears. I love hearing that.

We know there can be a disconnect between how leaders view themselves and how their behaviors are actually perceived by their team members.

What happens to teams and organizations when that gap exists?

Ximena Miro Quesada

This gap can be closely linked to poor results for companies.

When leadership teams aren’t working effectively with their people, it can create resentment and make it more difficult for teams to work together and reach the company’s goals.

Low self-awareness impacts both culture and business performance.

Trust declines. Feedback culture weakens. Innovation slows.

That’s why this is so important.

Rachel Cossar

Does Korn Ferry have research quantifying that relationship?

Ximena Miro Quesada

Yes.

Korn Ferry conducted an analysis involving 7,000 professionals across 486 public companies around the world.

The research found that poorly performing companies had 20% more leadership blind spots than financially stronger organizations.

That is a very significant difference.

Rachel Cossar

Say that one more time for the people in the back.

Ximena Miro Quesada

Seven thousand professionals across 486 public companies were evaluated, and the research found that poorly performing companies had 20% more leadership blind spots than financially stronger organizations.

Rachel Cossar

Wow. That’s fascinating.

As AI becomes more powerful, more widely used, and more integrated into technical and automatable tasks, leadership capabilities like communication, rapport building, and relationship building become even more important.

What I find particularly interesting is that we can now use AI in ways we were never able to before.

To your point, it can be a revolution in empowering people to develop greater self-awareness. Leaders can have a safe space to practice and receive consistent, vetted feedback without judgment.

That can give people real ownership over these power skills. Communication and related capabilities are typically categorized as “soft skills,” which I think unfairly discounts their importance.

Ximena Miro Quesada

Something else that’s very interesting is that AI is now available to almost anyone, anywhere.

You might be preparing for a conversation with your partner, trying to help your children make a difficult decision, or preparing to take a stance on something important within your company.

AI can help people think things through.

I recently read Think Again, and that idea is very relevant here: rethink everything.

When you rethink and have support exploring different hypotheses around the same idea, you can take a more complete look at your intentions, your purpose, and where you’re going.

If everyone has access to these tools, leadership teams cannot remain blind to their use.

Employees are already turning to AI and asking questions like, “My boss said this. What does this mean? How should I interpret it?”

Everyone is thinking things through at a different level.

Using these tools can give leadership teams an edge because AI is here to stay.

At Korn Ferry, one of the ideas we’re emphasizing is that it’s not humans or AI. It’s humans plus AI.

That is the world we’re living in now.

We have to learn to work with AI as an extension of our brains and our thought processes.

Rachel Cossar

Exactly, like an extension of ourselves.

How does Korn Ferry think about the balance between AI and human coaching?

At Virtual Sapiens, we view AI coaching as different from what we do, which is AI-powered practice, feedback, and measurable behavior change.

Where do you see the balance between using AI to support professionals and keeping human coaches involved? Is that a topic that comes up?

Ximena Miro Quesada

Yes. It’s actually one of the topics we’ve discussed most over the past year, and it’s something we’re now experimenting with alongside our clients and the leaders we work with.

One important point is that Korn Ferry views self-awareness as foundational to learning agility, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and future-ready leadership.

When you take that into consideration alongside the tools now available, the important thing is to think in terms of humans plus AI.

It’s not either/or.

The question is: When is AI necessary? When is human support necessary?

What kind of person are you working with? Maybe someone needs to interact with an AI agent regularly. Maybe another person needs a human consultant who can work closely alongside them.

It depends on the reality you’re working with, the individual leader, and where they are in their development.

Rachel Cossar

It’s refreshing to hear such a proactive perspective on moving toward the future.

It’s clear that AI isn’t simply going to disappear. There’s no going back. This is a new enabling technology.

Being aware of the context, the needs, and the available resources is probably what it really comes down to.

There are also important questions about the difference between what AI can do and what AI should do.

Are there things you think AI may be capable of doing but perhaps shouldn’t?

Ximena Miro Quesada

I think a lot of that comes down to data governance.

What data is actually building and informing what the AI is doing?

If you have strong data governance, if you’re working to address bias, and if the information is grounded in the right intellectual property and expertise, that makes a significant difference.

Korn Ferry, for example, has extensive information and assessments from millions of people around the world. That information can help us understand what works, what doesn’t, what learning agility looks like, and what approaches may work for different people.

It starts with the data.

Another important consideration is that people still need critical thinking skills.

AI is not here to become the leader you should be.

Your own critical thinking skills, combined with AI, can help you become better, grow, and learn from your mistakes.

That is one of the best ways to take advantage of a tool that can potentially help us become even more human.

Ironically, AI may accelerate the importance of deeply human leadership skills.

As technical tasks become increasingly automated, qualities like self-awareness, empathy, adaptability, and communication may become even greater differentiators for effective leadership.

That is the main idea I want to leave with you because I think it offers a different way of looking at AI.

If we use these tools effectively, they may actually help us become more human and connect more deeply with one another.

Rachel Cossar

I love that. Thank you for packaging that in such a succinct way.

I couldn’t agree more, and I think it ties back to so much of what we’ve discussed today.

If AI can help humans become more self-aware in a productive way that better serves leaders and their teams, that is a huge win in and of itself.

At the same time, AI shouldn’t replace some of the critical decisions leaders need to make.

Leaders still need to wrestle with difficult options, sometimes knowing that every available choice is imperfect and that they still have to make a decision.

That critical leadership muscle still needs to be developed. It shouldn’t be something we simply outsource or offload to AI.

Before we wrap up, is there anything else that comes to mind that you’d like to share with our audience?

Ximena Miro Quesada

There is one important message I’d like to leave people with: human plus AI.

Human plus AI is what the world is becoming, and it is already our reality today.

If you work with AI effectively, you can gain a lot from it.

You can prepare more effectively for an interview. I used AI to prepare for this conversation. I brainstormed and thought through ideas. It was almost like having someone there to help me explore my thinking.

These tools can also help more people access opportunities for growth.

AI is being used in recruitment and, with the right data, has the potential to help reduce bias.

You can also use AI to prepare for a difficult meeting. Maybe previously you wouldn’t have known where to start, but now you can explore different ideas and perspectives beforehand.

Using AI to empower yourself is key in these times.

Rachel Cossar

I love that.

I’m excited for our community to hear this conversation. Your perspective—and clearly Korn Ferry’s broader perspective on helping leaders leverage these tools in smart and responsible ways—is very compelling.

There are many players in this industry, but I think we’re all part of this discovery together.

Thank you so much for joining us and for bringing such thoughtful research and preparation to the conversation. You’ve been one of our most well-prepared guests, and it was a total pleasure having you on the show.

If people want to interact more with your thought leadership, where is the best place for them to follow you?

Ximena Miro Quesada

I think LinkedIn is an amazing tool.

The algorithm actually worked in our favor because that’s how we connected. We have similar ideas, we’re talking about similar topics, and we’re both trying to challenge how people think about leadership and AI.

LinkedIn is a great place to find me and connect with my work.

Rachel, thank you very much for the invitation.

It has been a pleasure not only talking with you, but also thinking through these topics and preparing for this interview. Many great ideas came from the process.

Thank you very much.

Rachel Cossar

It’s my absolute pleasure.

Thank you, Ximena, for joining us, and thank you, as always, to our audience.

We’ll see you next time.