In a world full of opinions, the best leaders recognize the superior value of a perspective. While both opinions and perspectives guide choices and decisions, there is a world of difference between them.
I appreciate the emphasis you put on our previous experiences that drive our current frame of reference. How do you define a “mindset” in relation to opinion and perspective? What are the differences?
The word 'mindset' these days has been largely taken over by popular self-help talk to mean something different than perspective.
You might hear something like "I lack confidence, so i adopt a 'winner's mindset' in order to go into a situation with confidence." That sounds good, but it doesn't actually inform a person's actions. There is just the presumption that if you can adopt the right mindset all the actions will inherently flow. But frankly, all the best mindset work you run into is actually an emphasis on specific behaviors.
Perspectives, on the other hand, seem to need a problem to solve in order to be helpful.
They are a vantage point from which to examine something that needs to be solved, or managed, or addressed. Therefore, perspectives can be faulty if a person is not looking at the correct problem. They can be faulty if they have a skewed view of an agreed problem.
Perspectives aren't quite a framework or a mental model. They might be considered the platform on which a framework is built. But we like to point out that even frameworks, while helpful in many situations, aren't the best approach when it comes to leadership development. Frameworks aren't universal or timeless.
Do you run the risk of stifling what your team really thinks about the subject by going first like when you offer your opinion on a topic and then ask others for theirs? I get the difference - it’s tapping into what the Stoics called Assent/Rejection (Wisdom). But operationally, it seems like offering your perspective first might have the same negative result as offering your opinion first. I can see the benefit, but today’s post made me think there is a thin line between perspective and opinion as perceived by the team.
If a leader states "this is just my perspective" but still offer it with force and conviction... they still run the risk of implying much more than just the perspective.
Powerful post considering peril times.
I appreciate the emphasis you put on our previous experiences that drive our current frame of reference. How do you define a “mindset” in relation to opinion and perspective? What are the differences?
The word 'mindset' these days has been largely taken over by popular self-help talk to mean something different than perspective.
You might hear something like "I lack confidence, so i adopt a 'winner's mindset' in order to go into a situation with confidence." That sounds good, but it doesn't actually inform a person's actions. There is just the presumption that if you can adopt the right mindset all the actions will inherently flow. But frankly, all the best mindset work you run into is actually an emphasis on specific behaviors.
Perspectives, on the other hand, seem to need a problem to solve in order to be helpful.
They are a vantage point from which to examine something that needs to be solved, or managed, or addressed. Therefore, perspectives can be faulty if a person is not looking at the correct problem. They can be faulty if they have a skewed view of an agreed problem.
Perspectives aren't quite a framework or a mental model. They might be considered the platform on which a framework is built. But we like to point out that even frameworks, while helpful in many situations, aren't the best approach when it comes to leadership development. Frameworks aren't universal or timeless.
Very good insight. Thank you
Do you run the risk of stifling what your team really thinks about the subject by going first like when you offer your opinion on a topic and then ask others for theirs? I get the difference - it’s tapping into what the Stoics called Assent/Rejection (Wisdom). But operationally, it seems like offering your perspective first might have the same negative result as offering your opinion first. I can see the benefit, but today’s post made me think there is a thin line between perspective and opinion as perceived by the team.
Good caution, David.
If a leader states "this is just my perspective" but still offer it with force and conviction... they still run the risk of implying much more than just the perspective.