February 10, 2025

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16 ‘Leadership Lenses’ That Offer A Better Perspective On Challenges

16 ‘Leadership Lenses’ That Offer A Better Perspective On Challenges

Leadership styles are not one-size-fits-all, and the lens through which a leader views their role can shape the way they approach challenges. Adopting different “lenses”—focusing on growth to nurture emerging talent, for example, or using empathy to guide difficult conversations—can offer new ways to solve problems and connect with others.

Below, Forbes Coaches Council members share the leadership lenses they find most valuable, along with specific examples of how these perspectives can be applied in real-world scenarios. These insights can help leaders sharpen their perspective, refine their leadership style and tackle complex situations with greater confidence.

1. Adaptive

An adaptive leadership lens is necessary as we enter the Fifth Industrial Revolution because it involves recognizing the need for flexibility, creativity and risk in solving complex challenges. The focus would be to balance short-term demands with long-term goals, along with adaptation and resilience. This will be effective in times of crisis, ambiguity or rapid change, where traditional leadership lenses may no longer work. – Arthi Rabikrisson, Prerna Advisory

2. Inspirational

One important leadership lens is that of inspiration. When our teams are inspired to do their best work, the teams and the business thrive. Inspirational leaders create followership, and that in turn encourages greatness. – Kathy Lockwood, Blue Water Leadership Coaching

3. Health

Leaders who can view the company through a lens of health will have the ability to make decisions that best impact the health of the organization, its culture and its people. Assessing change and decision-making to select the healthiest option for all stakeholders will increase the likelihood of adoption, accountability and positive outcomes in a way that is beneficial for all. – Lindsay Miller, Reverie Organizational Development Specialists

4. ‘Balcony View’

I often ask clients to “take a balcony view” to observe themselves in a situation or scenario. Who do you need to be in this situation? Visualize it as if it is all happening in front of you. It’s an effective way to see the big picture, appreciate the interrelationship of things and anticipate outcomes to make better decisions. – Bill Koch, Bill Koch Leadership Coaching


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5. Systemic Perspective

One rarely used, but incredibly valuable, lens that a leader can use is a systemic perspective. Using this lens, leaders not only notice their influence on their teams and close circles, but also see the broader impact their decisions have on the entire organization. They can look even further—exploring how their choices affect clients, partners and even communities. – Daria Rudnik, Daria Rudnik Coaching & Consulting

6. Hope

I am encouraging my clients to look at the world through a lens of hope. With all the crises of recent years, I think it is time for hope to make a comeback. A lens of hope helps particularly when a team is struggling with resilience and motivation. Hope is not all about a rosy future; it is about celebrating how far the team has already come and appreciating people in the present. – Dr. John Blakey, John Blakey Ltd

7. Empathy

A useful leadership lens is the empathy lens—because leadership isn’t just about KPIs. Leaders who embrace empathy understand that seeing things from their team’s perspective can make all the difference. In difficult situations, such as downsizing, they don’t just deliver news; they ensure it lands with compassion. It’s the kind of leadership people don’t just work for—they stick around for. – Laurie Arron, Arron Coaching LLC

8. Feedback

Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback—and listen! Leaders need to give their team the opportunity to give open and honest feedback. It’s sometimes uncomfortable, but we don’t know what we don’t know. Get out of your comfort zone and grow. – Liz Trocchio Smith, The Trocchio Advantage

9. Shared Vision

Viewing leadership through the lens of shared vision unlocks possibilities, boosts productivity and enhances conflict resolution. When we feel like owners of a project, we are invested in the outcome. When we feel we have everyone’s support, we are ready to face challenges. When we feel competent to perform, we are motivated. Leaders with a shared vision lens inspire extraordinary outcomes. – Sarat Chakravarthi, LeadYouth Education

10. ‘Medici’

To boost innovation, leaders should consider the “Medici” lens, inspired by Frans Johansson’s The Medici Effect. This refers to the creative potential found at the intersection of diverse disciplines and cultures. For instance, smartphones emerged from the intersection of telephony, computing and photography. Encouraging collaboration between departments is an excellent way to leverage this lens. – Gabriella Goddard, Brainsparker Ltd

11. Skeptical

Looking through the lens of a skeptic is especially useful when building a persuasive platform for change and when seeking a win-win deal in a negotiation. It can be incredibly hard to push past our own emotional resistance and feelings about an adversarial person who appears inflexible. Treasure awaits the brave leader willing to peek around the stated position and step into their perspective. – April Armstrong, AHA Insight

12. Mindful

Adopting a mindful leadership lens helps leaders uncover both personal and organizational biases so that they can make decisions based on facts rather than impulse or habit. By staying focused and objective, mindful leaders evaluate impacts and assess risks and value without distortion from preconceptions or ingrained habits. – Ginette Gagnon, Mindful Humans

13. Followers’ Needs

The most important perspective for every leader is their followers’ needs. When leaders mindfully observe others without judgment and understand their emotions, forms of expression, tones of voice, gestures and facial expressions, they will know much more about people and their needs. All people have the same needs; only the strategies to fulfill them differ. Leaders can know how to help. – Dominik Szot, MIA

14. Curiosity

A leadership lens of curiosity with a learning mindset gives leaders the ability and agility to reduce ambiguity and navigate change. Leaders with a learning mindset do not have all the answers. Instead, they demonstrate courage and curiosity that allow room for their teams to contribute; together, they are better. – Karen Tracy, Dr. Karen A Tracy, LLC

15. Easiness

A valuable lens is the easiness lens, which measures how at ease, trusting and comfortable your team feels with you. This perspective helps leaders gauge psychological safety within the team, which is essential for open communication, innovation and productivity. By fostering trust, leaders can better manage challenges such as conflict resolution or feedback exchange. – Carlos Hoyos, Elite Leader Institute

16. Gardener

One useful lens might be that of a gardener, where leaders view their role as cultivating an environment for growth rather than controlling outcomes. This perspective is particularly useful when managing teams through periods of uncertainty. Instead of micromanaging, the leader focuses on nurturing the right conditions, investing in the team’s well-being and promoting a healthy culture. – Thomas Lim, Centre for Systems Leadership (SIM Academy)

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