{"id":50329,"date":"2024-05-03T21:38:14","date_gmt":"2024-05-04T01:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ccl.org\/?post_type=articles&#038;p=50329"},"modified":"2025-11-25T11:15:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T16:15:44","slug":"a-broad-perspective-a-must-have-for-promotion","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.ccl.org\/articles\/leading-effectively-articles\/a-broad-perspective-a-must-have-for-promotion\/","title":{"rendered":"A Broad Perspective: A Must-Have for Promotion"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Do You Need a Broader Perspective at Work?<\/h2>\n<p>The more responsibility you have and the higher up you go in your organization, the more important it is to see beyond your own functional area.<\/p>\n<p>In our research, we\u2019ve found that having a broad organizational perspective is a <a href=\"\/articles\/leading-effectively-articles\/most-important-leadership-competencies\/\">critical leadership competency<\/a> and one of the most important factors in career advancement.<\/p>\n<p>Looked at another way, having too narrow a functional orientation can lead to <a href=\"\/articles\/leading-effectively-articles\/5-ways-avoid-derailing-career\/\">career derailment<\/a>, when a promotion might take you beyond your level of competence \u2014 and you may be pushed out, demoted, or fired.<\/p>\n<div class=\"page-break\"><\/div>\n<h2>4 Signs You Need a Broader Perspective<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re concerned you may have too narrow a perspective, you can work to expand it. Our guidebook, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.ccl.org\/usa\/broadening-your-organizational-perspective.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Broadening Your Organizational Perspective<\/a><\/em>, offers ideas on how to get a broader perspective.<\/p>\n<p>First, determine what\u2019s getting in your way. It may be, in part, organizational forces. But it may be your own behaviors that are holding you back. Do you tend to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Over-rely on strengths?<\/strong> Too much success in one area can lead you to over-rely on what\u2019s been working for you so far. Any strength can become a weakness, leaving you with a gap or limitation when it comes to the next opportunity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ignore flaws?<\/strong> You probably know your weak spots, or you\u2019ve been given feedback about something to improve. Ignoring this insight is a missed opportunity \u2014 one that can potentially derail your career.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Avoid untested areas?<\/strong> If you shy away from a function or area, the lack of knowledge and experience may become an obvious gap in your repertoire. Don\u2019t think, \u201c<em>I\u2019ve made it this far\u201d <\/em>and assume it won\u2019t matter down the road.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Focus on just one type of work?<\/strong> Deep expertise isn\u2019t a replacement for a variety of experiences. A track record of working in different areas or on different types of work demonstrates the versatility needed to move up in an organization.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Underlying these 4 patterns is the inability to learn, to take a risk, and to be challenged by something new. So, to get a broader perspective, go after a variety of challenging experiences \u2014 but be sure you will learn from them by <a href=\"\/articles\/leading-effectively-articles\/use-experience-fuel-leadership-development\/\">intentionally using them as fuel for development<\/a> and reflecting on them to glean lessons learned.<\/p>\n<div class=\"callOut\"><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.ccl.org\/usa\/broadening-your-organizational-perspective.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"floatRight\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/broadening-your-organizational-perspective-book-center-for-creative-leadership.jpg\" alt=\"Broadening Your Organizational Perspective book cover\" width=\"150\" height=\"225\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nBroadening your organizational perspective \u2014 understanding not just your own area of expertise, but how your organization works as a whole \u2014 can greatly enhance your ability to move upward. Learn how to widen your perspective with <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.ccl.org\/usa\/broadening-your-organizational-perspective.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">proven strategies and practical advice<\/a> from CCL experts.<\/div>\n<h2>Broader Perspectives Emerge When Learning from Experiences<\/h2>\n<h3>3 Learning Factors Related to Broadening Your View<\/h3>\n<p>At CCL, we believe that <a href=\"\/webinars\/great-leaders-are-great-learners-identifying-and-developing-learning-agility-in-your-leaders\/\">great leaders are great learners<\/a>. For a broader perspective, and to boost your ability to learn from your experiences, rather than just go through the paces, pay attention to 3 factors. You should have:<\/p>\n<h4>1. A <em>willingness <\/em>to learn.<\/h4>\n<p>Understand that new experiences may provoke fear or anxiety. Your performance may suffer in the short term. Consider <a href=\"\/articles\/leading-effectively-articles\/how-do-you-respond-to-a-new-idea\/\">how you respond to a new idea<\/a>. How open are you to exploring new things? What is your level of motivation and commitment to engage in and learn from new experiences? How will you handle the emotions that come along with risk-taking?<\/p>\n<h4>2. The <em>ability <\/em>to learn.<\/h4>\n<p>When going through a new experience, you\u2019ll want to determine <em>what<\/em> is important for you to learn. This requires vulnerability. Are you able to seek and use feedback? Do you learn from your mistakes? Are you open to criticism without being defensive? <a href=\"\/articles\/leading-effectively-articles\/are-you-an-agile-learner\/\">Are you an agile learner<\/a>?<\/p>\n<div class=\"page-break\"><\/div>\n<h4>3. Learning <em>versatility<\/em>.<\/h4>\n<p>You also need to understand <em>how<\/em> you learn \u2014 what\u2019s your learning style? Once you\u2019ve identified the tactics you prefer and use most often, you can try new learning tactics to make sure you learn the most from your experiences. (In addition to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.ccl.org\/usa\/broadening-your-organizational-perspective.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Broadening Your Organizational Perspective<\/a><\/em>, you may also be interested in\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.ccl.org\/usa\/becoming-a-more-versatile-learner.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Becoming a More Versatile Learner<\/a><\/em>.)<\/p>\n<p>With a solid understanding and commitment to learning, you can find and create experiences that will give you a broader perspective and wider organizational view. As a result, you\u2019ll strengthen your overall leadership abilities, enhance your opportunities for advancement, and improve your ability to adapt and grow.<\/p>\n<h2>Ready to Take the Next Step?<\/h2>\n<p><em><strong>Want to advance your career and go deeper on getting a broader perspective? Explore our proven <a href=\"\/leadership-programs\/\">leadership training programs<\/a>, tailored for the needs of leaders at every level of the organization.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The higher your leadership position, the more important it is that you are able to see beyond your own role. Here&#8217;s how to gain a broader perspective \u2014 a must-have for promotion and career advancement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":50331,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50329","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categories-derailment","categories-leadership-skills-competencies","categories-learning-agility","audience-leaders-managers","impact-level-middle-managers","region-global","article-type-leading-effectively-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v26.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Get a Broader Perspective: Tips for Leaders | CCL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The higher your leadership position, the more important it is to see beyond your role. 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