More importantly, what do you think about yourself...and is this accurate?
It must be awful to be one of those bosses who think themselves inspiring and popular, only to be sniggered at in private.
The most extreme example of the phenomenon is David Brent, from 'The Office,' whose lack of insight is both funny and tragic at the same time. Another reason for the popularity of ‘The Office' is the awkward sense of familiarity because all of us have encountered people like David Brent. We might also recognise some of his characteristics in ourselves.
If self-awareness is hard, awareness of how others see us is even harder.
People are reluctant to say what they really think about you because they see you as a flawed human being with good bits and bad bits. Depending on the person, you might get told about your good bits, while others revel in listing all of your faults. Rarely will you get a balanced picture describing both.
What do other people think of you?