INsight/ Taking Multiple Perspectives (1/5)

Manila, 5 April 2026 — What if your view is the problem?

“By taking perspectives, we discover that everyone is right—and holds a piece of the truth.”

Story

In leadership, we often assume we’re seeing the situation clearly. We’re not.

What feels obvious to us is shaped by our experiences, values, and habits of attention. Others are looking at the same situation—and seeing something very different.  

In one team, a manager pushed for results while a team member pushed for exploration. The tension wasn’t the problem. The inability to see both perspectives was.

Challenge

Most leaders don’t lack intelligence. They lack the practice of taking multiple perspectives.

We fall into three bias traps: the self-centered (I), the people-centered (We), and the systems-centered (It). Each holds a piece of the truth—and each becomes a problem when we stay there too long.  

Under pressure, we default to one—and defend it as truth. That’s when Direction becomes unclear, Alignment weakens, and Commitment drops.

Question

In your next conversation, scan all three perspectives.

What is true for me? What is happening between us? What is happening in the situation?

What is this doing to Direction, Alignment, and Commitment between you?

Concept illustration generated with AI