A Bird’s-Eye View
I’ve always preferred the window seat on an airplane. I love looking down at neighborhoods, spotting houses with pools, and picking out the track and football fields that mark the local high schools. I enjoy tracing rivers, lakes, and major highways as they weave through cities and landscapes.
Seeing things from 30,000 feet gives you an understanding that you simply can’t get from the ground.
It’s probably also why I enjoy looking at maps so much. I’ve never liked when navigation apps zoom all the way in to the exact street you’re on. When that happens, you lose sight of where you are in the bigger picture. You can’t see what’s ahead or how everything connects.
The bird’s-eye view of a Colorado ski resort taken on a recent trip
The same thing happens in business.
Leaders are at their best when they zoom out and see the big picture. But that’s easier said than done. There is no shortage of demands on our time from clients, vendors, partners, and team members. When those demands dictate every minute of our schedule, we lose the ability to look beyond what is directly in front of us.
I know when I find myself racing from meeting to meeting and reacting to whatever pops up next, it’s usually a sign that I need to pause and shift my perspective.
When we zoom out of the day-to-day minutia and look toward the horizon, we gain clarity on what lies ahead. Tools like forecasting, strategic planning sessions, leadership retreats, and intentional time to think can help create that space.
Seeing the big picture also opens the door to better opportunities. Instead of only considering promotions within a department, we often look across the organization to see where someone’s strengths might be used in a different way. In some cases, we’ve even created entirely new roles that didn’t exist before.
When leaders take the time to zoom out, they start to see how everything connects. Challenges become easier to solve. Opportunities become easier to spot. And decisions become more aligned with the long-term success of the organization.
Sometimes the most important leadership move you can make is simply taking a step back and changing your altitude.
Keep MIBE-ing!
Anthony Lambatos
Founder, MIBE Hospitality Leadership Development
Owner, Footers Catering
P.S. Want to get a birds-eye view of your leadership? Join us at our MIBE Workshop May 12th - 13th.
