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Mindset and leadership perception
By Bethany Fishbein, OD
Feb. 12, 2025
A few months ago, I wrote about FLOWN. It’s still one of my favorite productivity hacks. In some sessions, the facilitator puts up a quote for inspiration – and one posted recently has really stuck with me.
“Be careful how you see the world—because that’s the way it is.”
It’s deceptively simple, but the more I think about it, the more I realize how much it applies to leadership, business, and even life in general. The way we perceive the world—our mindset, our assumptions, our expectations—shapes what we notice, how we interpret situations, and ultimately, the reality we experience.
Your Practice is As You Perceive It to Be
If you see your practice as a constant uphill battle, full of obstacles and frustrations, that’s exactly how it will feel. If you see your team as disengaged and incapable, you’ll find plenty of evidence to confirm that belief.
But the opposite is just as true. If you view challenges as opportunities, if you look for moments of growth, if you assume the best in people—you’ll start to see a different world.
I have seen this play out time and again with practice owners. Some approach leadership with a problem-centric mentality: There’s never enough time. Good employees are impossible to find. Patients just want the cheapest option. And what happens? They stay stuck. They struggle to attract and retain a great team. They feel drained by their work.
Meanwhile, others approach things differently. They believe that great employees exist, that investing in people pays off, and that patients value more than just price. They see possibility, and because of that, they are excited to see what opportunities lie ahead.
Adjusting Your Perception of Prospective Employees
If you believe no one wants to work anymore, you’ll approach interviews with skepticism. You’ll expect candidates to disappoint you. You might even talk yourself out of making a great hire because you assume they won’t stick around.
But if you believe there are motivated people out there who want to be part of something meaningful, you’ll approach hiring with curiosity. You’ll seek out strengths and look for potential instead of just screening for shortcomings, and find things to learn from each candidate.
You’ll put in the effort to create an environment where people want to stay.
Change How You Look at Leadership
If you see your role as a burden of constant fires to put out, never-ending demands, and a lack of appreciation from an ungrateful team, then that’s what it will feel like.
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But if you see leadership as an opportunity to make a difference, to guide and support people, to build something bigger than yourself, it changes everything.
You’ll show up differently. You’ll approach tough conversations with a sense of purpose instead of dread. You’ll notice the moments when your leadership is making an impact – and become increasingly empowered as you see how your perspective shapes the results you get.
This shift in perspective isn’t about ignoring problems or pretending everything is great when it isn’t. It’s about recognizing that the way we frame situations influences our actions—and those actions create our reality.
How Do You See the World?
So, the real question is: how do you see the world? And is that perspective helping you—or holding you back? If you find yourself constantly focused on frustrations, limitations and worst-case scenarios, it may be time for a shift in perspective.
It’s not always easy to shift on your own, and especially hard when you surround yourself (in-person or online) with people who are only eager to commiserate.
A great coach or mentor can help you recognize the patterns in your thinking, challenge unhelpful assumptions and re-frame situations to open up new possibilities.
The way you see the world isn’t set in stone. You can adjust the lens (of course you can– you’re an optometrist!). And when you do, you may be surprised at how much changes around you.
Bethany Fishbein, OD, is a practice owner, practice management consultant and certified executive coach. She can be reached at bethany@leadersofvision.com
