Perspective: The Discipline That Distinguishes Great Leaders
We tend to judge ourselves by our intentions. Others judge us only by our actions. That gap is where leadership either succeeds…or fails.
As leaders, we see the world through a lens shaped by our experiences, values, and past decisions. That lens feels complete because it is familiar, yet it captures only a small portion of available information.
Marcus Aurelius captured this truth well: “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
We all have a perspective; the mistake is treating our perspective as the answer.
One of the benefits of a team is that every member brings a different perspective. Each member sees something we do not. When leaders create environments that invite, respect, and thoughtfully integrate perspectives, better decisions emerge. We may not make perfect decisions, but it is the best we can do, and that is all that is asked of us.
We often use the image of the moon to illustrate this idea. From Earth, we see only one side of the moon, yet it needs four perspectives to be truly seen. Leadership works the same way. No single viewpoint captures the full picture.
Effective leaders resist the temptation to defend their view. They are curious, they ask:
- What might I be missing?
- Whose voice is not yet heard?
- What answer could emerge if we put our perspectives together?
Perspective is not about being right—it is about being the best we can be, collectively.
When I was part of Coach Bo Schembechler’s football staff at the University of Michigan, there was an emotional, charged debate every day about the right thing to do. Often, when Bo saw too many in the room coming to his side, he would shift his position and take the opposite perspective. It was very confusing to me. Why would he do that when he was winning?
When leaders intentionally broaden their perspective, they build trust, sharpen judgment, and model humility. When mistakes occur, as they inevitably will, teams learn together rather than fracture.
The mark of leadership maturity is not certainty—It is the willingness to recognize that there is more to learn.
Leadership Reflection Questions
- Whose perspective am I not currently considering for making the best decision?
- When was the last time I changed my mind because I truly listened to someone else’s point of view?
- Do the people I lead feel safe sharing perspectives that challenge mine?
- What decision am I facing right now that would benefit from a broader perspective before I proceed?
- How can I model greater humility this month by inviting and integrating diverse viewpoints?