ABSTRACT
One way to gain this systems point of view about leadership is to develop your perspective-taking capacity. Higher levels of perspective allow you to look at a situation from many di§erent viewpoints and to integrate these viewpoints in a way that is easily understood by others.1 To better understand this, consider the concept of acting. Have you ever taken part in a theatrical production? If so, you may have been an actor, actress, or director and were responsible for speci†c tasks in preparing for and putting on the play. As an actor or actress, you are responsible for reciting your own lines and knowing when to come in on the script. As a director, you are responsible for much more. You have to understand set design, lighting, special e§ects, and how all the actors and actresses interact according to the script. You have to view the production from a systems perspective in the sense that you understand who, what, when, where, and how all the elements come together in the performance. ‹erefore, a director’s perspective needs to be broader than an actor’s perspective, but both must work together to satisfy the audience with a great production.
