You Think You're a Good Collaborator. Do the People You Manage Agree?
Drawing on data from more than 10,000 professionals, Ivan Matviak and Heidi K. Gardner find senior leaders consistently rate themselves as effective collaborators who listen and empower, while the people they work with report otherwise. Dominating conversations and micromanaging are named as the behaviours that most undercut leaders' intended collaborative posture.
If your manager describes the team as collaborative in terms you wouldn't use, the gap is well documented rather than a sign you're misreading things — and specific behavioural feedback travels better than a rating. The moment you lead anything, assume your own self-assessment is the least reliable data point available.
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