Perspective please!

And Tamund and Jung many others throughout history concurred!

But why is it so difficult to see other people's stories and their truths? For me, this is one of the most important steps in becoming mindful: To be able to see the different sides of the picture.

I have worked with many great people, but very few great leaders and one of the things that always pops up (except for ego - we are talking power here!) is lack of perspective.

Without perspective at work, we lack the ability to truly appreciate and harness diversity. We become less of what we can be, by only surrounding us with like-minded individuals, who see the same problems, issues and risks and maybe not all the opportunities out there. It makes us less likely to be inclusive in decision making, less able to feed back why we chose one course of action above another. And definitely out of touch with many of our employees, and more importantly, our customers. Perspective is key when dealing with change. It is the one thing which enables us to answer the WHY question, as it can clarify the reasons for the decision from every angle. It is the basis of systems thinking, it helps with strategy in creating scenario's etc. etc.

At home, perspective is all about assisting to really connect with friends and loved ones. By having their perspective on things, we are able to really communicate effectively in the way that makes us "get" each other. It helps to move from emotional states to a place where we can engage on the issue whilst witnessing each others points of view... It makes us better human beings.

It is just so hard because perspective suggests letting go of our own, to take flight and see the picture from above, rather than standing on the ground and voicing our own perspective only. There is the misunderstanding that perspective means loosing our own opinion. I think we definitely still need to make up our minds about which way to go, but in those initial stages of evaluating our options, it is invaluable to have perspective on the issue. Not to make impulsive and hasty decisions based on emotions and ego only. It also means we have to be open to listen...it is very difficult. And even worse, able to take true feedback from others! All very scary stuff, but in my experience, very, very much worth it.

So, this morning I open my eyes with expectation...my meditation for today....perspective please!