view from the top, but not exactly. You are well aware of the external and internal challenges and opportunities. But how much of the necessary detail can you see? What do you know about what’s going on below and the details people are experiencing? How do you get this perspective? If you’re a specialist leader (e.g., IT, legal, technical, project) you might be near the top of the mountain and have glimpses of the view from the summit. When you look out you can have a broad view, or a more restricted view with considerable detail, depending on how much of the mountain you have access to - the majority or just a section. When you look around what perspective are you missing or perhaps unaware of? For a leader on the lower slopes of the mountain, the view is very different; there’s lots more detail, but when you look up, you can rarely see the top or a full view/vista. You rely on those with a better view to provide information, to communicate, to explain. What happens when you don’t get that? What happens when you can’t see much? Or you don’t know what the big picture is? What do you say to your team(s)? So, where do you stand on this mountain? Close to the top or on the summit? The fact is wherever you stand on the mountain, you’re expected to be productive. Everyone working in your organisation needs to be clear about what is expected of them now and know why this is important to your clients/customers. But when change is continuous, this is easier to talk about than to achieve in practice. So, how can leaders go about improving clarity for their teams? And how can leaders achieve clarity for themselves? Consider your own career Consider your own career to date – in your various roles, how have you found the clarity which drove your The mountain view Consider an organisation as a mountain - where you stand determines the view you have and the detail you can see. The view of the CEO is unique, one that no-one else has; the summit has definition, and your experience of climbing mountains provides you with insights to manage through storms and clouds. When you look down and around, what is the level of detail you have? It’s likely you’ll need to rely on data or others for the detail. Perhaps the majority of your time is spent looking up and out: investors, shareholders, customers/clients, stakeholders, committees, and board meetings. The C-suite leader has a good oversight as you are close to the summit. You have a fair idea of the Using the mountain metaphor ask yourself these questions 1. Where are you on your mountain? How holistic is your view now? 2. When did you last take a long walk around on the lower slopes? 3. What valuable perspective might you be missing? 4. To what extent are you relying on your previous experience? If something has worked in the past is that a guarantee that it will work now in the future? 5. What assumptions are you currently making? 6. Do your team members feel empowered to challenge you, or your assumptions?
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