“I never thought about it like that before.”
That’s what a leader said during a recent 3Minds workshop on Team Dynamics. The reflection came after an activity designed to highlight how the same experience can be understood differently. As a result, the leader began to see things in a new way. For this leader, the moment was profound yet confronting.
Until then, they had viewed active listening as a tool. A way to paraphrase or reflect back what others were saying to maintain rapport, particularly in a conversation with opposing views. However this exercise revealed something deeper: a confronting possibility that they might not always be 100% correct.
The shift was profound.
Their role wasn’t simply to convince or persuade others. Rather, it was to listen with genuine openness, to weigh the information on all sides, and to bring the best of both perspectives together. In doing so, they discovered an entirely new potential reality: that leadership is not about being the one who is right, but about identifying the most effective way forward.
Narrow Perspectives Limit Growth
As leaders, it’s easy to operate within the boundaries of what we already know. Our colleagues, networks, newsfeeds, and even our favourite podcasts can reinforce our existing beliefs. Although familiar perspectives feel comfortable, they can also stifle innovation, blind us to risks, and limit opportunities. In fact, you don’t know what you don’t know.
Fresh Perspectives Unlock Potential
Expanding your perspective isn’t just about collecting new information. Instead, it’s about challenging assumptions and seeing problems from angles you might not have considered before. As a result, when leaders seek out different voices, especially those with opposing views, they often discover more effective, creative, and faster ways of achieving results.
So, ask yourself:
- What has surprised me in the past?
- Why was it a surprise?
- Who am I learning from right now, and who else could I be listening to?
Curate Your Perspective Influencers
Just as you’d regularly review your strategy or team priorities, it pays to take stock of your “perspective influencers”. I challenge you to:
- Audit who you currently listen to – colleagues, mentors, podcasts, social feeds.
- Reduce the voices that limit or narrow your outlook.
- Engage more with the people who challenge and expand your thinking.
- Add new influencers who bring fresh insights, from inside and outside your sector.
This isn’t about surrounding yourself only with like-minded thinkers. Instead, True leadership growth happens when you balance the familiar with the unfamiliar.
Leadership Is About Perspective
Leadership isn’t simply about making decisions, it’s about making better ones. And better decisions come from seeing a broader picture. By actively seeking out new perspectives, you’ll strengthen your leadership, inspire your teams, and create more innovative solutions.
What steps will you take this week to expose yourself to different perspectives?
At 3Minds, we help leaders and teams challenge assumptions and embrace new ways of thinking. Let’s start a conversation about how broadening perspective can unlock growth in your organisation. Contact us today at [email protected].
