Skip to content
Asian Leader HubPeer recognition and leadership discourse for Asia-Pacific executives

Johari window: a simple self awareness tool for leaders

Johari window is a simple grid that helps you see yourself the way your team sees you. It sorts what is known about you into four boxes. Once you know the boxes, you can ask for feedback in a calm, planned way and learn what you cannot see on your own.

Where the johari window comes from

Two American psychologists, Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham, created the model in 1955. They worked with group training at the University of California, Los Angeles. They described it in a paper called "The Johari window, a graphic model of interpersonal awareness." It appeared in the proceedings of the Western Training Laboratory in Group Development.

The name is a blend of their first names, Joe and Harry. The idea has been taught in management and team training for decades. It is easy to draw on a whiteboard, and it needs no special tools.

Sources: Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham, "The Johari window, a graphic model of interpersonal awareness," Proceedings of the Western Training Laboratory in Group Development, UCLA, 1955; Wikipedia, "Johari window," en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johari_window.

The four quadrants

Picture a square cut into four panes. One side of the square asks what you know about yourself. The other side asks what others know about you. That gives four panes:

  • Open. Known to you and to others. Your skills, your role and your habits that everyone sees.
  • Blind. Known to others but not to you. For example, you may cut people off in meetings and not notice it.
  • Hidden. Known to you but not to others. These are things you keep private, such as a worry or a goal you have not shared.
  • Unknown. Known to nobody yet. This can be talent that has never been tested.

The panes are not fixed. Their sizes change as people share more and learn more about each other.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Johari window," en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johari_window; Businessballs, "Johari Window model," businessballs.com/johariwindowmodel.htm; Joseph Luft, Of Human Interaction, 1969.

Why a leader should care about the blind spot

Leaders often get less honest feedback as they rise. People tend to soften bad news for the boss. In many Asian workplaces, respect for rank can make this stronger. A team member may stay silent rather than correct a senior person in public.

The result is a large blind spot. You may think your instructions are clear while your team is confused. You may think you are open to new ideas while your team feels that the decision is already made. You cannot fix what you cannot see.

A bigger open pane helps everyone. When the team understands how you think, they guess less. They can also work with you faster. This is the main goal of the model: make the open pane larger, so that fewer things are hidden or blind.

Two ways to make the open pane bigger

The model points to two actions. Each one moves a boundary in the grid.

  1. Share more about yourself. This is called disclosure. When you tell people your goals, your limits and how you like to work, the hidden pane gets smaller.
  2. Ask for feedback. When others tell you what they see, the blind pane gets smaller.

Pace matters. Share what is useful and fits the setting. You do not need to tell everyone everything. Many people also find that sharing a little first makes it easier for others to be honest in return.

Sources: Businessballs, "Johari Window model," businessballs.com/johariwindowmodel.htm; Joseph Luft, Of Human Interaction, 1969.

A simple way to try it with your team

The classic exercise uses a fixed list of adjectives, such as "able," "calm" or "shy." You pick five or six words that you think describe you. Your colleagues each pick a few from the same list for you. You then place the words on the grid. Words you and others chose go in the open pane. Words only others chose go in the blind pane. Words only you chose go in the hidden pane.

You can run a lighter version in a few steps:

  1. Ask three to five people you trust to write down three strengths and one habit that you could improve.
  2. Let them reply in writing or in a private chat. In a high-respect culture, this is often easier than a group talk.
  3. Read the answers alone first. Look for points that more than one person made.
  4. Thank each person. Do not argue or explain yourself at that moment.
  5. Pick one habit to work on. Tell the team what you chose, and ask them to tell you if they see a change.

Limits to keep in mind

The johari window is a thinking aid, not a test. It does not measure personality, and it cannot tell you who is right. Feedback also reflects the view of the person who gives it, so look for patterns rather than single comments.

Be careful with the unknown pane. You cannot list what no one knows. It shrinks over time through new tasks, new roles and honest talk. Treat it as room to grow.

This article is general information about a management tool, not medical or psychological advice.

Sources: Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham, Proceedings of the Western Training Laboratory in Group Development, UCLA, 1955; Kevan Davis, "Johari Window," kevan.org/johari.