How easily can you move beyond your own viewpoint and see a leadership challenge through a completely different lens?
Perspective shifting is an important strategic leadership skill because the more senior you become, the more you need to understand competing priorities, different stakeholders and alternative ways of thinking. We discuss why mental agility helps you move beyond the tunnel vision of your own role, department or preferences, without losing your own point of view.
We look at practical ways to develop this skill, including Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats and the Disney Creative Method, which uses the perspectives of dreamer, realist and critic. We consider how deliberately adopting different thinking positions can improve decision making, creativity, conflict management and the quality of strategic conversations.
We also explore how perspective shifting can strengthen strategy development and stakeholder management. By asking what employees, customers, finance teams, communities or other stakeholders would think, you can anticipate questions and identify gaps in your thinking. Finally, we consider how the same technique can help you challenge your inner critic, access different viewpoints and become a more agile and effective leader.
Key Points Discussed
- Why perspective shifting becomes increasingly important as you move into senior and strategic leadership roles.
- How to distinguish intellectual perspective shifting from emotional empathy.
- How Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats can help you deliberately adopt different thinking perspectives.
- How the Disney Creative Method separates the dreamer, realist and critic perspectives to develop and stress test ideas.
- Why clear rules of engagement can make structured perspective shifting more effective in meetings and workshops.
- How stepping into the shoes of different stakeholders can strengthen strategy, proposals and leadership decisions.
- How questions such as “What would future me say?” or “What advice would I give someone in my team?” can help you access a different perspective.
- Why curiosity, self awareness and a willingness to challenge your preferred viewpoint are essential for developing greater mental agility.
Key Takeaway
Perspective shifting is a leadership muscle you can deliberately develop. Practise moving between different thinking styles and stakeholder viewpoints, particularly when one perspective feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar. The aim is not to abandon your own view, but to broaden your thinking before deciding what to do.
More Resources
For more practical tools, including Disney’s Dreamer, Realist and Critic approach, explore our blog: Why Strategic Leaders Need to Shift
Perspective
If you enjoyed the show, please give us 5 stars! It will help others find the show. Check out our previous episodes and remember to subscribe so you don’t miss our future episodes. If you have any questions or want to discuss anything, we’d love to hear from you:
