Call it the viewpoint. A leader must have one. The mirage hints that, the closer you get to the picture the imagined reality, dispels. Yet you have to keep on brushing aside the blurry images so as to focus on the reality as it feeds into your vision. And as the one long road makes us appreciate the twist and turns on the road, the concept of perspective brings home the point and draws the solutions closer.
Situations are always around you and so close to you as a leader. As a matter of fact, some of you swim in situations by day. Deal with them. You can only enjoy your professional life when you make things happen. So I shared with a team during a corporate training session that some of us walk and work in lake of risks every day so we have no option than to learn to manage risks inherent in our daily activities.
Don’t let history make you. Make history. When you apply perspective, you see the vision very close to you in your thoughts and you can really appreciate how strong the mind is. And if you get to appreciate how powerful your mind is, I bet you’ll never give room for any negative and backward thoughts about yourself and your progression.
The mind can take you on a good ride tens of thousands of kilometres away and bring some jaw-dropping ideas that would bring your whole life back on track or change your whole dimension and perspective about life, work and even the world. You need to exercise the right side of your brain.
Never get scared. It is not scary as it seems and sometimes as they say. May be you are scared because you are too powerful. Otherwise, stretch beyond yourself and do great and big things. Create a world. You only rush things when your path is not defined. Perspective helps you draw it, plan it, bring it closer and live it. Pick the steps one by one, just a day at a time. Remember the story of the ants and walk in wisdom. Be patient. But patience is not the absence of urgency, anyway.
Perspective does not only mean you have to have just a viewpoint. Folks, there are times that you would be influenced by many viewpoints. The beauty is that you have to make a choice. The choice also means that you may have to let go other equally good options. Be smart about situations when applying perspective.
Know where you stand and assess where you are going. Just be clear in your mind. A leader decides. But I share with teams that when times become critical and you have nowhere to turn to, just turn to where you know. Read over that sentence again, because that should unlock the next anecdote. Or see it from this angle.
In grade six, I remember we were asked to stand in the middle of a long road and draw that long road, just to appreciate the concept of effects and distance. The road converges at a V-point. Walking closer, the V-point widens.
The narrowed murky figures appear clearer and objects get bigger as the road broadens. I picked up an understanding. If you don’t start, your vision remains a dream. If you move, your dream becomes a reality. When you get lost in the middle of the road, you can always come back to the beginning and start again. This practically explains what I mean by ‘turning to where you know’. Perspective. See it. Get closer. Do it. Just move it. Nothing happens if you don’t move.
Never be scared of the letter ‘Z’ because it appears too far from the letter ‘A’, right? Start it, and keep on pushing till you reach your Z for zenith. The wobbly moments are on its way and you only need perspective to meet it squarely and subsequently grind it. The upside, however, is that, leaders who wear perspective lenses are always prepared, which is why they walk through the storm smiling. In their quiet moments they lament too, but they always see the bigger picture.
The concept of perspective is beautiful. See ahead. Prepare for it. The future becomes real when you walk through current situations to meet the distant future knowing very well that the future is near. The walk is full of risks. But you cannot afford not to take a step, either. Don’t forget to tap into people’s ideas. Use them when you lack.
Perspective is not always before you. They are at times within you. Walk through yourself most often before you walk through situations. Have a perspective. Be objective.
