Leadership
Most professionals occupying executive-level positions tend to disregard the opinions of their subordinates and believe in instructing them to act in a certain way. This philosophy of “My way or the highway,” can be very damaging for organizational growth. Why is Perspective So Important for Leadership? As a leader, you must take different perspectives into account when making a decision. Read on as we discuss the importance of perspective in leadership and what it can do for your team and your business.
It Enables Better Problem Solving
The foremost advantage of considering different perspectives is how it enables better, faster, and more efficient problem-solving. If your team is in a professional quandary and you are unable to figure out a solution right away, consider asking your team members for help. This particular bit can be difficult for some managers because they prefer to appear strong-minded and capable of solving all kinds of problems in a jiffy. However, when you do this, you put your interests first and fail to consider what’s better for your company.
Getting a different perspective also allows you to consider a variety of solutions. You can then choose the resolution that appears to be most effective and act accordingly.
It Paves the Way for Innovation
This is another factor that stresses on the importance of perspective in leadership. Different perspectives can translate into different ideas, which is essential for innovation. For instance, suppose you have to develop a product for a female-oriented target market. If your product development team comprises entirely of men, then it can be very difficult to develop a product that addresses the needs and requirements of your target market.
Conversely, when you bring women onboard, you can automatically tap into a wealth of information that helps you understand and anticipate the type of value your prospective customers are looking for. New perspectives can also help you recognize existing gaps in the market, thus accelerating innovation and new product development.
It Builds Team Spirit
The final advantage of perspective as a leadership skill is how it boosts the morale of your team and helps them function in a cohesive manner. Think about it, when you ask your team to share their thoughts on something, you are indirectly communicating that you respect their opinion. Employees consider such gestures as a type of validation. This can help them have increased faith in their skills and capabilities.
Of course, when you ask for different perspectives, it can also lead to disagreements and your team members are likely to argue over which idea is better. However, eventually, this will benefit them and will help promote team spirit. Remember: The goal here is to build a communication channel that enables transparency and better information sharing.
In a Nutshell
All great leaders understand the importance of perspective in leadership. A leader that fails to communicate with their team isn’t a leader at all. So, instead of believing that you hold the answer to everything, you must learn to harness the power of perspective and embrace new opportunities to learn and innovate.
