The Power of Obtaining Perspectives
Article | Accountability Insights
A Not-So-Small Task
I was recently asked this question after a brief lead in: “I know that gaining others’ perspectives is vital to my success as a leader—easier said than done! How can I do that better? And will it really help me lead and communicate more effectively?”
A Straightforward Answer
Taking the pulse of your people is critical to success and yes, it can be challenging. Which voices do you listen to? How often? And what input should you act on?
To explore the power of perspectives, we like to start with a story that many are familiar with. Let’s go back to April 13, 1970 when Apollo 13 astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert were nearly 200,000 miles from earth on their way to the moon.
Those of you familiar with the history of Apollo 13 will no doubt recall the major events and remarkable outcome. We mention it here due to the overwhelming combination of perspectives that came together under incredible stresses in order to save these men.
After an explosion punctured their oxygen tank, a variety of teams at Mission Control, led by Gene Kranz, had to move quickly, weighing opinions and options, making fast decisions, and executing plans. With only 15 minutes of oxygen remaining in the Command Module, the decision was made to get the men moved over into the LEM (Lunar Excursion Module).
They then had the not-so-small task of getting them home in a damaged ship—one not designed for that task. The Apollo 13 mission was ultimately called “a successful failure,” due to the diverse perspectives and efforts of so many uniting together to bring the astronauts safely home.
Without everyone freely sharing their own specific points of view, grounded in their own unique areas of expertise, the crew would have been lost.
Perspective Saves Lives
In the case of Apollo 13, without everyone freely sharing their own specific points of view, grounded in their own unique areas of expertise, the crew would have been lost.
Why Is Obtaining Perspective So Tough?
We share this story because it took great leadership and a unique skill. Obtaining perspectives, then, is not just about asking people what they think; it’s developing the desire and ability to get them to tell you what they really think, often in the heat of the moment. The skill, it seems, is in the obtaining part—and doing so in a way that builds trust and further opens communication channels.
Obtaining others’ perspectives is hard because most of us are comfortable doing our own thing while winging it on only two data points…our own two eyeballs. We’ve become complacent with our own perspective. The trick is acknowledging that no single set of eyes sees everything. In fact, no one person even sees enough to make the important decisions necessary without a much broader vision.
Are you good at obtaining the perspective of others?
- This trait is NOT a clear strength in my organization. 77%
- This trait is NOT a clear strength in team leaders. 62%
According to our recent study of thousands of leaders from hundreds of organizations, most people struggle with this. Discover more about this and other accountability traits in our Workplace Accountability Study. > Learn More
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Israelmore Ayivor describes comfort and complacency as “a sword of two edges. One edge kills hard earned successes while the other end stops future glories. Complacency is a murderer and a barrier!” William Pollard warns that, “The arrogance of success is to think that what we did yesterday is good enough for tomorrow.”
The irony with comfort and ease, especially when it comes to success, is that nearly as soon as you kick back and start to enjoy it, it’s gone. You have to keep earning it. And earning it is its own reward! Obtaining perspectives from others really means feeling wonderfully content while always reinventing and hungering for more.
You Need More Than You
NPR’s Robert Siegel once spoke to the myth of the lone genius: “We think of Martin Luther King and Sigmund Freud and Warren Buffett and Steve Jobs as these great solo creators, but in fact, if you look into the details of their life, they are enmeshed in relationships all the way through.”
- Steve Jobs created Apple Computer with a lot of help from Steve Wozniak and Jonathan Ive.
- Larry Ellison founded Software Development Laboratories with Bob Miner and Ed Oates, now a little company called Oracle.
- Even Disneyland and the Disney media empire were founded by Walt and his brother Roy, along with input from thousands of visionaries.
Creativity and genius are not solo activities; these leaders and companies got where they were due to a whole lot of perspectives coming together.
A 5-Question Solution
A recent Dodge Ram Truck commercial says, “We don’t just sit waiting; we go out and ask those who buy our trucks…” A perfect example of what I’m talking about and stellar advice. To assist you with your renewed desire to “go out and ask,” there are five key questions you might consider asking the next time you are with a member of your team.
- How do you really feel about ______?
- If it were just up to you, what would you do differently?
- If you were going to warn someone about this, what would you say?
- What do you feel I most need to hear that I am least interested in hearing?
- Do you feel you can be honest with me?
The arrogance of success is to think that what we did yesterday is good enough for tomorrow.
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Conclusion: Perspective is Not Optional
Understanding another’s perspective in today’s complex business environment is not a luxury or a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity. Teams need it. Every team leader needs it. Organizations need it. The pay-off for your very own perspective hunting-gathering will be a happy, well-adjusted, vibrant, and thriving organization—one that is always reinventing and hungering for more. And an organization that’s sync’d up and headed in the unified direction of your Key Results.
- This isn’t a throw-away ask.
- It’s about going deep and convincing others that you really want to know.
- It’s about getting those around you to genuinely offer what they’re thinking in a regular no-holds-bar experience/venue.
- It’s helping people buy-in to how critical their piece of the perspective pie is.
- It is getting others comfortable enough with you that they are open and candid with their perspectives.
- It’s realizing that if you don’t see more than you alone can see, you won’t see what you must see to get results. That’s a lot of “sees”, but you get the picture.
- It’s demonstrating that multiple perspectives offer more of the complete picture than anyone could ever see on their own.