How to Get Perspective on Your Leadership Challenges
Photo by Pixabay at Pexels. Let's Start with a Thought Experiment.
Imagine that you are a football player on the field. How much of the game are you able to see? What important details might you miss?
Now imagine that you are a football coach on the sideline. How is your perspective different from the football player on the field? What does being on the sideline make possible for you?
Now imagine that you are a coach up in the press box, looking down over the entire field and where the fans sit. What does this point of view make possible for you?
One of the "conceptual skills" leaders must develop is getting perspective on their challenges. To do that, they've got to see things from above the playing field. I first came across this idea from Ron Heifetz's "adaptive leadership" model. He describes it this way: leaders must get off the dance floor and go up to the balcony.
Get Perspective by Seeing the Bigger Picture
Think "dance floor" or "the playing field" is where all the action, tension, and noise exist. When on the field, our focus shifts to "right now." We may find ourselves in a constant state of "fight or flight" as well.
"The balcony" or "The press box" is a different space. To use another metaphor here, "you can't see the whole picture when you are in the frame." So we "get out of the frame," or we "go to the balcony," or we "sit in the press box." Then we can finally be strategic when addressing problems in our organizations. Perspective also helps us manage our "triggers."
To be clear: we must spend time "on the field" as leaders to stay fully engaged. The problem: if we live there, we will find ourselves increasingly involved in more and more conflict, and in time, we will burn out or derail our careers because of our inability to do necessary strategic work. Effective leadership requires us to move back and forth between these two places.
Ways to Get Perspective
Anything that helps you get perspective can be beneficial.
Talk with someone outside of your organization, such as an external consultant or coach. When coaching leaders who feel overwhelmed by their situation, this is one of the first moves I make with them - "let's get off the playing field and up into the press box. What options can you see now that you couldn't see before?"
Leave your workplace to think about the problem. If possible, find a quiet, natural setting to do some thinking. A change of scenery can help you shift perspective. Take a walk outside and see how it transforms your perspective.
Use pen and paper to help you think. Set a timer for ten minutes and write whatever comes to mind. Don't edit yourself. After your timer goes off, scan through what you wrote to see if any new insights emerge.
Use a "satisficing" approach to help you sort out what's most important, and act on that.
Ask yourself, "What do I want this situation or relationship to look like in six months?" This question will help you move out of the "right now" mindset and become more strategic.
Ask yourself, "What core values must I protect here?" Then consider how to do that.
The key idea is to get yourself out of the "immediate action" to help calm your fight or flight response. Once that happens, your perspective changes - because our vision both sharpens and narrows when we are in a fight or flight state.
For A Small Experiment
Pick a metaphor that helps you gain perspective:
Getting off the dance floor and onto the balcony
Getting off the playing field and into the press box
Getting out of the frame to see the whole picture
The next time you are faced with a challenge, remember that image. Then watch how your perspective shifts.