3 Ways to Leverage Perception
“Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.” Arthur Schopenhauer
This is one of the most simplest pieces to share. I'm lucky, I get to work with very cool leaders and entrepreneurs. And I get to see ( and experience) why others move ahead and others struggle. The key to flow and grow vs struggle and strife, lies simply in perception. Leaders who have the ability to see their thoughts as perceptions and see where those perceptions are useful or not, have the greatest ability to achieve growth and success.
“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” Robertson Davies
One key area you can see this is how people build businesses and organizations. Leaders who understand that how they built the business is not how they need to grow it are the ones who create strong sustaining performance. They change their perspective to see the business as organic and are able to step in the right practices to consistently focus on what they need to tend for the healthy growth of the business. Here are a few key areas they focus on:
- They define the right daily business practices necessary for healthy growth and outline it so others can follow, participate and enhance them.
- They are selective about what they focus on to maintain good growth
- They hire good people and encourage them to learn first and then enhance current practices
- They realize they are no longer the expert once they delegate
- They are constantly in the world listening to and engaging with others, challenging their thinking, and changing themselves to be better for their company or organization
- They realize every day how they built the business or organization is not the recipe to grow it
- They know when they have a roadblock, that their perception is no longer true and they gain a new one to find a better way
“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” Wayne W. Dyer
The second key area for perception management is the leadership, development and influence of others. Leaders who thrive in any scenario have the ability to create healthy and dynamic conversations with others. They are able to work with and through others to accomplish important goals and initiatives. This is the hardest of all skills to develop. The ability to do this well means to do the following well:
- To focus on a clear sense of purpose in every conversation with every individual or group
- To not focus on the personality and to focus on the purpose and outcome
- The ability to change their perception of another to get the best possible outcome for the company and situation -- this is the easiest statement and a hard one to do for many. Many times people tend to point out all the issues with another person when a goal or expectation is not met. This exercise in pointing out the problem with others rarely works. What is proven as more effective is to define what is working, where is the gap, and work with others to find a way through.
- The ability to see your perceptions of others may limit achievement. Leaders who can see beyond their perception of others have the ability to inspire and motivate others to new heights.
“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” W.B. Yeats
The third area for leveraging perception is by being aware of your thinking. The leader who is self aware to see where believing their thoughts limits the performance of the company and people and change them are the ones who grow great companies, organizations, and people. Leaders who can look their thoughts boldly in the eye and say, "that's not true" are the ones who set the pace and pioneer new paths. The greatest discoveries and achievements are made by people who are willing to see beyond their perception.
Leaders know changing their thoughts and perceptions does not change "who they are" and it will change "how they are". This truth allows them to quickly and easily adapt to the dynamic world around them and create new opportunities for all.
Let go of your perspective and grow,
Bobbie
