Perspective Drives Progress Or Peril

Our reality is defined by the way we see the world. As humans, we are constantly taking in and processing information around us. Because of this continuous input, it’s natural to lean on your established beliefs to fill in the gaps and create a complete view of the world.

When considering human adaptability as a whole, this is a valuable evolutionary skill, but from a business leadership standpoint, it can quickly lead to a company’s demise. Long-held beliefs that do not align with reality can lead to blind spots, faulty judgments, and poor decisions.

Let’s look at your perspective, and assess how it’s affecting the trajectory of your organization’s success.

How are you currently seeing things?

It’s human nature to define your beliefs. And I don’t mean just your political or religious beliefs. People are constantly creating belief systems around all aspects of their lives. Effective business leaders must constantly question these established assumptions to adapt to our ever-changing world. The way you did things before may not be the best way forward.

Here are a few questions to help you better understand the current state of your leadership team’s way of looking at things.

• Is your company actively researching new trends and how those might affect the future of your industry?
• Are team members encouraged to challenge the company’s established way of doing things to discover outdated processes and beliefs?
• Is learning and exploration a key part of your company’s culture?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, your leadership team’s perspective is likely in a good place. It’s probably prepared to grow and adapt as new information is discovered. If you answered no to one or more of these, you’re not alone. Many companies fall prey to their own tired perspectives. The first step to improving is recognizing that there is a problem.

What are the warning signs?

An outdated perspective can negatively impact a company’s success very quickly. Let’s look at some common indications that a business is operating with a poor perspective.

• Burgeoning market trends and pressure-tested research aren’t thoroughly considered during the decision-making process. Actions are taken based on a limited scope of information.
• Leadership considers prior successes an indicator of future successes. In other words, they are overly confident that the company will come out on top, even if market data suggests otherwise.
• There is a sense of nostalgia embedded into the company culture that inhibits innovation. The old way of doing things is usually not the best way forward, so holding onto outdated ideas will only sabotage growth in the long term.

What’s the way forward?

Now you have a better understanding of the health of your leadership team’s perspective, here are some tips on keeping it healthy over time.

• Look for the areas in which operational beliefs and reality don’t overlap. In order to make sound decisions, there must not be a disconnect between these two. This is where organizational change must take place.
• Embrace the facts, no matter how brutal they may be. If a fact destabilizes an established assumption, it is worth looking into with heightened discernment.
• When discovering new truths, keep an open mind. Even new and relevant information can quickly turn into yet another skewed belief if clung to for longer than is necessary.
• Look at the dynamism of the market as a constant flow of opportunities rather than a constant problem to be dealt with. Change is the only sure thing in life, so you may as well choose to take it in stride.