A Leader’s Perspective: How what you believe and how you think determines what you accomplish

Dear reader,

Welcome to this week's edition of "Elevations."?

Until this past week, it had been years since I lost sleep over a business problem that needed to be solved. This frequently occurred when I ran my company 25 years ago when there were no shortages of things that kept me awake worrying and wondering about cash flow, employee issues, clients, or difficult conversations I needed to have.

Since then, I have learned that the solution to most problems is to manage things better. What rarely gets in the way is a need for more managerial ability or resources; it's leadership. The problems invariably come down to getting people to do what they are supposed to or convincing them to do something they don't want.

Working with a long-time client facing a critical crisis, I saw exactly why leadership is crucial when there are no easy answers—and what you need are better questions. By helping my client address this problem, I could see that unless we could effectively cause others to take action, there was nothing we could do to avoid a catastrophic outcome that could threaten the company's existence.

What kept me up that night was wrestling over what approach would allow us to solve our problem and our customers simultaneously. There are no easy ways to do this, and anything you choose has significant risks.

To solve this, it was necessary to remember that you cannot manage people; you manage things and must lead people. By focusing on getting people to respond favorably rather than fixing the problem, we were able to find a way forward. We're not out of the woods but now moving in the right direction.

This week's essay focuses on how perspective and beliefs shape decisions. It might also someday help you escape a crisis.

I wish you a great week ahead.

-prl

A Leader’s Perspective: How what you believe and how you think determines what you accomplish

Living with an incurable cancer has given me more insight into perspective than anything I have seen or studied. Whether we perceive a threat or an opportunity, a gift or a curse or a source of dread or one of gratitude amounts to how we interpret our circumstances and experiences.?

Ten years ago, my type of cancer was untreatable, but today, because of advancements in medicine, it is manageable and no longer life-threatening. Even knowing this, I was still fearful of the uncertainties around my long-term prognosis. Both the cancer and the treatment I need can compromise my immune system and the possibility of severe adverse reactions from the treatments that I would likely need to take for the rest of my life.?

Today, I am grateful, joyful, and healthy. My treatment is working without any of the worrisome side effects. My perspective has shifted, and I am no longer seeing the world through a mottled lens of latent anxiety. Instead, I focus on staying healthy and helping others who can benefit from my experiences.

I have a colleague, Les Whitney, who wrote a book, “Cancer’s Gifts.” Most people with the kind of diagnosis he received five years ago don’t live long. Yet, Les has defied the odds. He shares his stories and cultivates hope in others facing similar challenges.?

Given the rapid advances in cancer research, the longer you survive, the better your chances of a novel treatment or a cure. There are other reasons Les hangs on. His journey is not about himself. He chooses to be a gift to others through his perspective on life, maintaining his humor and faith, deepening his humility, and demonstrating his humanity.?

The lens through which you look at things is partly basic intelligence but more so what you believe. Beliefs are shaped through learning, whether by deliberate inculcation like religious instruction or experiencing something significant or life-changing. What you believe determines how you make meaning of what you experience and informs your choices.

Some beliefs drive irrational fears, while others instill confidence. Your beliefs shape your perspective and guide what you accomplish in life. This is particularly true for leaders and why it is so difficult for the people I work with to elevate their capacity to lead others effectively.

A leader's job is influencing others' behaviors, which usually means changing people's beliefs. The only way we change our beliefs is by learning something new. It’s easy to change casual beliefs about things that are not consequential. However, changing core beliefs challenges the personal identity we have built around them. This is why vulnerability and humility are essential to continuous growth and effective leadership.?

Gaining a better perspective helps you discover what genuinely matters. Prioritizing aims and what you must accomplish doesn’t require a cancer diagnosis. All you need is clarity of purpose fueled by genuine curiosity, humility, and understanding that the things you accomplish that are significant to you and benefit others are what bring joy to your life.?

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You can access over 150 other pieces on business leadership and related topics at the ALPS BLOG at ALPSLeadership.com .

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