Mohamad Cholid, Certified Executive and Leadership Coach
“And you see the mountains, reckoned them rigid, while they will pass as the passing of clouds.” QS An-Naml [27]:88.
‘The critical role of management is to see the company not as it is, but as it can become.” — John W. Teets.
Perspective matters. The Quran reminds us of this with the verse, “And you see the mountains, reckoned them rigid, while they will pass as the passing of clouds.” (QS An-Naml [27]:88). Except for a little knowledge, we would never understand perfectly what God is willing. Beyond Islam, other religions also acknowledge the limitations of human beings.
Within these limitations, a significant challenge arises: the tendency to become captive to our own minds. We can fall prey to limiting beliefs and imagined barriers shaped by personal biases. These biases then form the basis for how we understand life.
Imagine human beings, with our limited perspectives, seeing the mountains as rigid and unchanging, when in reality they are as fleeting as clouds. What happens when we let ourselves become prisoners to these limitations? The most likely outcome is that we become prisoners of our assumptions.
This phenomenon isn’t limited to individuals. Even established intellectual groups, heads of organizations, and public figures can be susceptible to getting trapped by their ideologies, political practices, or personal biases. New perspectives turn them into frightening shadows.
Decisions are often made based on entrenched beliefs, stifling the consideration of new alternatives. These alternatives, which could improve the quality of work and life, are often seen as a threat, not to stability itself, but to the fear of failure that comes with change. This behavior goes against the will of the Creator, who has given us the freedom to explore new approaches and gain better perspectives in navigating life’s challenges.
From the company’s perspective, such behavior is dangerous. Management, by clinging to outdated methods, becomes ill-equipped to face new challenges. As John W. Teets, a former President of the American Management Association, stated, ‘The critical role of management is to see the company not as it is, but as it can become.”
Suppose you are failing to adapt to changing circumstances or stick with an undeveloped perspective. In that case, the costs of poor decision-making due to a lack of clarity can be substantial, affecting the organization’s bottom line and long-term health. Poor decisions can damage an organization’s reputation or cause existential problems.
Overcoming limiting beliefs and gaining new perspectives is essential for navigating today’s dynamic and often disruptive changes.
My experience observing boards of directors across various organizations has shown that the most crucial leadership challenge is often breaking free from self-imposed limitations. Just as a lobster must shed its shell repeatedly to grow, leaders must be willing to shed outdated thinking and embrace new perspectives.