Leadership involves judgment and communication. Your communication as a leader will drive how your team follows you. It is natural to portray confidence. Confidence is important. Other people will only follow you with some fraction of the enthusiasm of their leader, so leading with as much confidence can be key. However, confidence and independence can be blind spots in a leader’s abilities.

When I moved into leadership, I felt responsible for making progress independently. The next logical step from being an independent contributor on my team to leading was to lead independently. I was responsible for a team and a set of products, and I took the initiative to drive results independently. Confidence and independence left me with blind spots on how to truly deliver value in my organization.

I did not fully grasp that an executive role is about interdependence on others. It felt like the goal was independence, however, executives do not operate in a vacuum. Leaders work together across the organization to drive results. Consider your leadership position and the difference between independence and interdependence.

Interdependence involves reaching out across organizational boundaries. You may lead a technical or product organization and partner with sales, marketing, finance, and human resources. In the eyes of the organization (imagine the CEO), you cannot deliver results independently. You cannot deliver a product that has not been effectively marketed or is not effectively sold.

Interdependence is supported by being open to helping others and receiving help. As an executive, your goals begin to align more closely with those of the organization. These are business goals including revenue growth or margin expansion. You are no longer viewed as a successful leader by simply delivering on the goals of your department. Your impact is viewed at the organizational level.

Interdependence requires communication and increased awareness of the goals across the organization. Be curious about the work being done outside your organization. Ask how you can help. Work to understand how your goals relate to those of other departments and the organization as a whole. Relating your goals and the achievements of your team in the context of the goals for the business will dramatically increase the recognition of the value you and your team provide.

Look for blindspots as you grow into roles with more responsibility. Recognize that you cannot do this alone. Build your network in your organization and work together to drive the goals that matter most in your organization.