Helicopter VS Frog Perspective
Just five or more years ago, positive and business psychology emphasized the necessity of using both “brains” for successful business and leadership—engaging the left (analytical, logical, digital) and the right (creative, artistic, innovative) brain. Although science has proven that all bodily functions are controlled by both hemispheres and should not be viewed separately, the point of this mention lies in the fact that, due to our predominant intelligence and talents, it is challenging for people to integrate both perspectives (helicopter and frog). Yet today, these perspectives are more important than ever, both for employees and leaders alike. A relieving factor today is the availability of tools like ChatGPT, which summarize all accessible data from the internet—essentially representing 100 or more different perspectives and knowledge on various topics—into a context and structure that is acceptable and understandable to us. Such an intellectual level once required serious erudition, but today it is available at the click of a button. Although tools are helpful and certainly, by consuming available knowledge, they assist us, true intellectual superiority requires reaching the superposition of quantum qubits, where at any given moment, you can be both zero and one, but also zero and one simultaneously. In translation, balance as needed between the perspectives known as helicopter and frog views.
I remember reading in a spirituality book a long time ago that in order to develop self-reflection, we need to reach a level of objectivity and distance where we can observe ourselves as a bird on a branch. In addition to requiring phases of deep introspection, reading, meditation, knowledge of Stoicism, and good self-awareness and self-mastery so that you always know who you are, what you are, where you’re going, and what values you live by, I can’t help but notice how today’s race to do something in milliseconds and deliver it, as the predominantly operating mode in almost every industry, presents an obstacle for both perspectives. This is because, in the rush, details often have to be sacrificed, as well as the distance from discussion and subject to see the bigger picture, since no one has enough time to talk and think. That is why these gaps and omissions are filled by advisors.
In business, balancing these two perspectives allows for a dynamic and adaptable approach. The frog perspective ensures that immediate actions are taken with precision, while the helicopter perspective helps steer the organization in the right direction for sustainable growth. Combining both is especially important during times of transition, where both operational details and strategic foresight will determine success.
Advisory is often associated with a veteran in the industry with a double-digit number of years of experience. However, when this experience is put under the microscope and critically examined, these may be people who have actually performed the same job every day without growth or development, much like the movie Groundhog Day. After all, times have changed. Nowadays, job ads no longer list years of experience to avoid discriminatory differences, and if they do, it’s a maximum of 10 to 15 years, but even that is becoming rarer. So, most often, this flattering title is given for the money, industry connections, and because it would look good and recognizable on paper, without questioning the real value it can bring to you.
For these reasons, the role has been modified and shifted a bit more from “hands-off” to “hands-on,” as it’s no longer enough to just talk if there’s no execution, and it’s not enough to simply tell someone how to do something.
Key questions to answer when you’re in doubt or considering:
- How to recognize if and when you should bring in an advisor?
- What value will they bring to you?
- How to set expectations in alignment with responsibilities?
Recognizing when to bring in an advisor, particularly for operations and organizational matters, often stems from a point where you realize that your business has reached a level of complexity or scale that exceeds your current expertise or capacity to manage effectively. This might occur when you find yourself struggling to optimize processes, lacking clarity in organizational structure, or facing growing pains in scaling operations. An advisor can bring significant value by offering an outside perspective, helping to identify inefficiencies, streamline workflows, and align organizational structures with strategic goals without the trial-and-error approach that could waste time and resources.
Expectations should be outlined in terms of deliverables, timelines, and communication frequency.
Personally, I can’t recall the exact turning point when I decided to pursue advisory, but prior to that, conversations and work with people were often accompanied by compliments like, “You give me a different perspective, you see it from another angle, you bring a new level of professionalism, you consider things we overlook.” Additionally, the qualities and skills I had developed pointed to the fact that I would thrive in a consulting role – a person of truth, someone who doesn’t play corporate games, objective, rational, and logical, transparent, and calling things by their true names no matter difficulty. Also, there were accurate predictions about the future operations of companies that proved to be correct years later, even though they were not taken seriously at the time due to my youth. However, whether with agreement or excitement, and even if the approach made someone uncomfortable, because that is also a sign of growth, the most important thing is that the results have never been lacking.
Where is the greatest value of Trusted Advisor when discussed in the context of leadership advisory, you may ask?
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