Have you ever been in a situation where things appeared to be obvious, but were, in fact, less obvious than they originally appeared? To be successful, we need to remember that often our perceptions are misleading.
Look at the image above. Which square appears darker A or B? Isn’t it obvious?
Most people would say that A is obviously darker than B. But let’s modify the image a little and see if we can gain greater insight.
Square A and Square B are exactly the same shade of gray.
There are several takeaways one can draw from this exercise. First, context matters. Larger contrasts pop out more and attract attention. Because of this, the context that surrounds the situation informs about ability to see what is real. In this case, the shadow cast by the cylinder subdues the contrast and darkens the surroundings. Our unexamined perceptions make us prone to incorrect conclusions.
This leads us to the second takeaway from this exercise. Because our perceptions are misleading, we should regularly cross-examine our perspective and conclusions. Our senses are imperfect and easily fooled. We are apt to play the skeptic regarding others’ perspectives, but usually fail to question our own. This is a recipe for hubris and failure.
Good leaders are capable of putting their ego aside to embrace their own fallibility. They care more about being the decision being good than their need to be right.
