Perspective frames and defines reality - that's why you must control your focus!
Which of these pyramids would you rather visit? I've actually visited both. In college I took a trip to Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and there I met my wife - but that's another story.
The pictures above are of the same pyramids - the Pyramids of Giza are just outside of Cairo. Viewed from the desert they appear isolated and imposing. Viewed from Cairo they are still awe-inspiring, but often obscured by smog.
Our lives as leaders are often like these pictures of the pyramids. Viewed from one direction they are rewarding and significant. Viewed from another they are unclear and uninspiring.
Don't let the promotional brochures for the pyramids of others' lives blind you to the fact that every leader's world has days with smog, congested traffic, crumbling infrastructure, and overcrowding. Those are days we long for clarity, smooth passage, stability, and solitude. Like Superman we need our Fortress of Solitude where we can retreat for insight and inspiration.
It's all a matter of perspective. What is real may be expressed in different ways, each of which is true. If the glass is half empty, then it is half full. This is where leaders must influence others to see a perspective, knowing they will be accused by half-emptiers of only imagining the glass to be half-full.
To keep perspective, here are FIVE principles related to our focus as leaders.
#1: Focus on the appropriate level.
If you are a leader then focus on the development and utilization of your key subordinates. Stories from the front line may be important to your understanding of the organization, but if you get into the weeds then all you will see are weeds. Allow each of your gardeners to deal with his portion of your plot of ground, tending its plants, removing the weeds, and managing the soil. If you want to spend your time growing tomatoes then you shouldn't be overseeing the farm.
#2: Focus on what is rather than what might have been.
Be a realist. Look at your garden with unclouded vision. Don't get sucked into the neverending game of "what might have been" rather than focusing on what is. The Giza pyramids without Cairo may be enticing, but don't bode well for tourism and commerce. There's are reasons Cairo and the pyramids are in proximity to one another. Pesticide may remove all weeds from your garden, but too much pesticide will render your soil unusable. Keep doing the work of weeding while growing what your garden exists to produce.
#3: Focus on trend lines rather than snapshots.
It is too easy to make it all about today. If it is smoggy and congested, then deal with the underlying issues rather than being paralyzed by the realization that your organization isn't perfect. Healthy organizations aren't perfect, they are headed in the right direction and know what is contributing to their success and what is continuing to hold them back. In life, we don't arrive, we move toward the realization of meaningful goals.
#4: Focus on strengths without ignoring the weaknesses that will bring you to your knees.
I worked for an organization that spent its deferred maintenance dollars on daily operations. Over a period of years the buildings began to deteriorate and the price to repair them was now unimaginably large. That is, until a new treasurer arrived who stopped the practice of robbing tomorrow's funds for today's bills and began reversing that trend. It was a long process, but ultimately achievable once tackled in a systematic and disciplined fashion. Weeds kill - healthy organizations don't ignore entrenched weeds because they appear to have roots that have grown too deep, they dig deep and remove them.
#5: Focus on people and not on things.
Life is about people. Each of us exists to serve others through our strengths and callings. When you focus on things you confuse means with ends. I tell people I want a maintenance free home. But a home is for people and as long as there are people, walls will be scuffed, furniture will be scratched, windows will grow dirty, and carpets will need to be cleaned. Minimizing damage is commendable but not if it requires driving the people from the home. An abandoned home soon will be beyond repair and in need of razing. Gardens exist to feed people. People do not exist to serve gardens. Always maintain clarity on this distinction.
At Julian Consulting we help our clients maintain perspective by focusing on what matters to their success - professionally and personally. Call TODAY to determine how we can serve you in this process.
