Zoom in and out..Be dynamic focussed

Effective leaders have the ability to zoom in and zoom out effectively and dynamically.  This is a required critical skill to lead teams under varying circumstances and continue to expand a leaders span of influence. An effective leader should be able to work at varying levels.  It is important to be able to stand back and see the big picture while at the same time be able to get in to the details very quickly if the situation warrants. Being able to transition between these varying levels of details and being dynamic and flexible in doing so determines the effectiveness of a leader. 

 

Zoom out perspective helps leaders to be more strategic and to keep the big picture in mind as they make decisions.  It helps them align the teams to the underlying principles, strategic goals and priorities of an organization.  It helps them look at problems in a bigger context and from an abstract point of view and to really think about what the true desired outcomes are.  It helps leaders expand their span of influence quickly and effectively. Zoom out perspective helps leaders come up with alternatives, ask thought provoking questions, and be objective in their decision making.  While leaders, teams, and organizations significantly benefit from zoom out perspective, there are also some drawbacks.  Leaders who always take the zoom out position tend to be dreamers and not understand the reality on the ground.  They may miss the threats and seriousness and impact of issues on the ground. They may lose their followers respect as they may come across naive and clueless. 

Zoom in perspective helps leaders understand nuances and subtle details that are sometimes required to make right decisions.  Zooming in on few critical situations will convey to the teams the importance of those situations.  It helps leaders understand the thought process of their teams and underlying issues at an intimate level.  However, staying stuck at zoom in perspective is not good for the leaders, teams, and organizations.  It takes away the bandwidth required by the leaders to think more strategic and to think about the big picture.  Leaders could get too attached to a point of view and may take things more personal and lose objectivity in their decision making.  It could undermine mid level management's authority as senior leaders are now directly engaged with the teams. Teams may fall in to group think mode and take leader's point of view to please the leader. 

In conclusion, effective leaders should have the ability to zoom in and zoom out dynamically.  In general, leaders should be more zoomed out and should zoom in on as few situations as absolutely required. 

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P.S: More information on this topic can be obtained from Harvard Business School Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter's article "Managing Yourself: Zoom In, Zoom Out".  However, in the spirit of giving credit where it's due, I first learned about this concept from one of the leaders that provided some mentor-ship guidance to me while I was working for one of my previous employers.