Why Your Leadership Illusions Are Dangerous (and How to See the Truth)
Dec 10, 2025The Dangerous Illusion of the Still Helicopter Blade
A helicopter’s blades can appear completely still, even while they’re spinning at hundreds of miles an hour.
Your eyes see motion. Your brain, seeking the easiest path, decides the blades are still. It essentially picks the story that feels most comforting, not the one that’s true.
Leadership works the exact same way.
The comfortable illusion is that everything is fine. But look closer, and the reality might be:
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A leader thinks their team is “calm.” They’re actually disengaged.
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A leader thinks things are “stable.” They’re quietly deteriorating.
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A leader assumes silence means alignment. It usually means caution or fear.
Human brains prefer a comforting illusion over a difficult truth.
And the more senior you become, the stronger that illusion gets. Not because you are wilfully blind, but because no one wants to be the person who tells the leader the blades are, in fact, spinning. People fear the judgement or the fallout.
Here’s the Opportunity: Bringing Reality Back Into Focus
The truth is always there. It comes back into focus the moment you create conditions people can safely speak into. You must build the relationship and the psychological safety required for honesty.
1. Ask Better Questions. Instead of asking if there are problems, ask: “Are the blades spinning? Tell me about the things we are not tracking.”
2. Invite Dissent. Actively seek out opposing viewpoints: “Tell me what I’m not seeing and what you are. What is the biggest risk that no one is currently mentioning?”
3. Slow the Room Down. Halt the rush to consensus. Remember that if your team members don't trust you, they will want to exit the room as quickly as possible. Genuine debate requires time, patience, and a non-reactive leader.
The truth is always available. It's just waiting for the right relationships to help it be seen.
Don't settle for the illusion of stillness. To explore how we help leaders create the clarity and psychological safety needed for real organisational growth, visit us today at
Looking to shift how your team shows up?
Check out Elephant in the Room ā€” our signature training programme for teams ready to build trust, speak honestly, and perform at a higher level.
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