Perception vs Perspective
I'm back after a bit of a hiatus. I was preparing to give grand rounds at the University of Indiana (I had a GREAT visit), and as is my habit when I care about something deeply, I became so hyper-focused that I stopped doing everything else - except eating, sleeping, working out, and bathrooming.
The title of my talk is Seeing Is Believing: The Power of Human Connection in Everyday Leadership. This was a unique talk for me since I told very personal stories (only one slide with a tiny bit of data!) of the evolution of my ability to connect with my six children over time (and others I hope!) while highlighting the specific skills I learned along the way.
One thing I have learned is that THE foundational or ground-level skill that comes before all the others, like how to listen, etc, is the ability to put yourself, your imagination, and your brain in the other person's shoes. In fact, I had concluded before I came across the video below that the ability to put yourself in another person's shoes or to be able to genuinely understand their perspective, is a damn superpower for connecting and understanding another person.
Something I was not very good at in earlier versions of Michael Maddaus.
Then I just came across this video which perfectly explains the profound difference between our perceptions (ala Anais Nin above) and perspective. I could write about it, but the video conveys very well. I am attaching a transcript if you prefer or also want to read the content.
Feedback with a thumbs up or down is greatly appreciated, or drop an email at michael@michaelmaddaus.com.
