Five Things Photography Can Teach Leaders

As leaders, we face critical challenges every day. Hobbies can be wonderful and unlikely sources of inspiration as we tackle them. In my case, that hobby is photography. Good photography is a skill honed by years of practiced discipline – not unlike leadership. The similarities don’t end there. Here are five ways it can inspire leadership:

Knowing how to seize the moment

Taking the perfect photograph requires positioning yourself for the best result. Iconic pictures are made – quite literally – by seizing the moment. A good photographer knows how to recognize the right moments and does whatever possible to capture them. Some do this at great personal risk. The ability to recognize opportunity is a key business skill. Some opportunities are risky but can define an organization’s success in the long run. Good leaders assess situations shrewdly and know how to take bold decisions when necessary.

Staying focused on what’s important

Vision sets the foundation for a good photograph. But what truly defines a picture is the subject. A photographer carefully chooses what to position in the foreground and what goes in the background. There is an analogy here for leaders. Often, we are faced with multiple opportunities and decisions competing for our attention. At such moments, it is important to keep your attention focused on the goals most aligned with your vision.

Being patient

Photographs rarely turn out well on the first click. The lighting could be bad, the angle might be off, or a perfect frame could be ruined by an oblivious passerby. Whatever the case, it usually takes several attempts before you are finally satisfied. But the final picture will have been worth the effort. Patience is a virtue of good leaders. Many things can go wrong in business. Positive outcomes are a result patience and perseverance. In the end, however, the results can make you proud.

Appreciating the details

Few things teach you to appreciate the finer details like photography. Highlights, shadows, saturation, and texture may not seem like much. But they can significantly alter the tone and mood of a photograph. At work, as in photography, it is important to keep an eye on the big picture. However, the smaller elements make all the difference. For instance, ambitious targets can accelerate business forward, but not keeping an eye on employee morale can be costly in the long run.

Developing perspective

A single moment can have multiple meanings depending on where one stands. A street-level photograph of a busy intersection can capture moments in the lives of several individuals – a doctor rushing to the hospital, a mother dropping her son to school, or a group of colleagues on a break from work. A bird’s eye view would show you several buildings, an endless mass of faceless individuals, and the perennially busy traffic. In leadership, where actions have a huge impact on others, perspective is everything. Therefore, it is crucial to consider things from multiple angles before making any decision.

Leadership is like any skill – it can be learnt. And photography can be a great teacher. What do you think?