Six Sides of the Cube!

My father was an actual space pioneer who led the design section at Jet Propulsion Laboratory for almost four decades. He was not only accomplished but also wise. He taught me an important lesson about perspective, reminding my siblings and me that a cube has six sides, each offering a unique view. His lesson was never to be quick to judge. Examine all perspectives before concluding. This is a powerful reminder that having an open mind and considering multiple perspectives can lead to greater understanding and exceptional decision-making.
Successful leaders practice perspective, which refers to seeing all relevant data meaningfully. The aim is to achieve a 360-degree view, which means having perfect knowledge. Whether developing business intelligence to capture a significant opportunity, gaining insights into customer needs, finding the right motivational approach to inspire an under performing employee, or balancing strict financial controls with capacity investments, we must broaden our perspective by gathering all the relevant data. This will minimize risks and optimize outcomes.
To enhance your leadership skills and gain a wider perspective, it’s crucial to actively listen, seek to understand, and practice empathy towards those who hold different views. These are not just skills, but powerful tools that can transform your leadership approach. However, we often face obstacles in gaining a broader perspective, such as our implicit biases and lack of motivation. Unconsciously, we all have attitudes and stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions. These biases formed during our life’s journey limit our perspective and may reflect in our behavior at work, home, or social settings. Recognizing and overcoming these biases is not just about expanding our perspective, it’s about personal growth and becoming better leaders.
The second obstacle to gaining perspective is the lack of will, which is a difficult challenge to overcome. It starts with our poor listening skills, disengagement from the task at hand, or our tendency to avoid confrontation. For instance, during meetings, some attendees tend to be overly eager to present their solutions without listening to their colleagues. Others become so preoccupied with their electronic devices that they lose focus on the task at hand. Some people choose to send an email or text instead of engaging in a conversation to avoid any potential conflict. These behaviors demonstrate a lack of will to gain perspective and often result in missing essential information that could lead to the best possible solution. By actively engaging and overcoming these tendencies, we can hold ourselves accountable to gain a broader perspective.
As a leader, you have the power to see the world from many different vantage points. Examining all six sides of the cube gives you a unique perspective that can inspire and guide those around you and, most importantly, optimize your decision-making!
COL Paul A. Raggio (Ret), the owner of Five Star Leader Development, is a fractional CEO/COO who develops C-Suite executives, business owners, and their management teams on leadership, management principles, and best business practices. Contact him to achieve exceptional results in your company! His email address is paul@fivestarleaderdevelopment.com, and his phone number is (252) 571-7368. Visit his website at https://www.fivestarleaderdevelopment.com.