They Weren't Having the Same Conversation
This insight came out of a recent conversation about Cowboy Carter.
I know—for some people, that's old news.
But leadership lessons don't expire when the headlines do. Sometimes we can only see them once the emotion has settled.
As we talked, something became obvious.
People often describe the public reaction to Cowboy Carter as "polarizing."
I don't think that's what happened.
I think something far more interesting happened.
People weren't arguing over the same question.
Some were asking,
"Is this good music?"
Others were asking,
"Who gets to define country music?"
Others were asking,
"What does authenticity mean?"
Others were asking,
"What does this say about race, history, or culture?"
The conversation felt divided because people believed they were debating the same issue.
They weren't.
They were answering completely different questions.
That's not just a lesson about music.
It's a lesson about leadership.
Every day, organizations gather around one issue believing everyone is solving the same problem.
They're not.
An employee asks for flexibility.
One leader hears a productivity issue.
Another hears a policy issue.
HR hears a culture issue.
Finance hears a cost issue.
The employee experiences a trust issue.
Everyone is responding to the same event.
Very few are responding to the same question.
That's why organizations can spend months solving problems that never seem to go away.
They solved the problem they saw—not necessarily the problem that existed.
Before asking, "What's the solution?"
Ask a different question:
"What question is each person actually trying to answer?"
Sometimes the greatest leadership mistake isn't choosing the wrong solution.
It's never realizing the room is solving different problems.
That's The Third Perspective™.
Diagnosis comes before prescription.—
Kimberly D. Sanders
Executive Advisor | Creator of The Third Perspective™
Reflect:
What conversation have you watched lately where everyone seemed to be arguing about different problems without realizing it?
☐ Person
☐ Leader
☐ System
#TheThirdPerspective #PLSFramework #DiagnosisBeforePrescription #Leadership #OrganizationalCulture #ExecutiveLeadership
