MODULE 8 - BIG PICTURE THINKING - WHY DO BOSSES ASK FOR IT BUT DON’T MEAN IT?

DRIVERS OF THE BIG PICTURE ORGANIZATION

WHY DO BOSSES ASK FOR IT BUT DON’T MEAN IT?

Brian Phillips deals with an awkward issue in regard to Big Picture Thinking. It is a popular competency. Bosses often ask for it to be included in a Competency Map. Yet, they "Don’t Always Mean It" - i.e create a conducive environment that helps staff think "big" and display "Thinking Big Behaviors".

Big picture thinking is often touted as a crucial leadership competency, yet in many organizations, employees who demonstrate it face resistance, skepticism, laughed at or even outright dismissal. Leaders frequently call for strategic thinking, innovation, and a broad perspective, but when employees actually apply these principles, they sometimes find themselves sidelined or challenged. This contradiction raises an important question: why do bosses encourage big picture thinking but resist it when their colleagues exhibit it?

Is there a paradox of big picture thinking in corporate settings? This blog, by Brian Phillips, examines why leaders demand it but struggle to embrace it when their colleagues display it. Brian Phillips highlights factors such as organizational inertia, power dynamics, insecurity, and short-term pressures, providing a nuanced perspective on this leadership dilemma.

The Allure of Big Picture Thinking in Leadership

1. Defining Big Picture Thinking

Big picture thinking refers to the ability to see beyond the immediate details of a task and understand broader trends, patterns, and future implications. It involves strategic vision, cross-functional understanding, and the ability to connect seemingly unrelated concepts. Employees who think this way anticipate industry shifts, foresee challenges, and propose innovative solutions.

2. Why Leaders Ask for Big Picture Thinking

Leaders encourage big picture thinking for several reasons:

• Competitive Advantage: Organizations that embrace innovation and strategic foresight gain a competitive edge.

• Vision Alignment: A workforce that understands the company’s broader goals can align its actions accordingly.

• Problem-Solving: Employees who grasp overarching issues can offer long-term solutions rather than temporary fixes.

• Market Adaptability: In a rapidly changing business environment, companies need individuals who can predict and adapt to trends.

Given these benefits, it seems logical that leaders would actively encourage and reward big picture thinking. However, in practice, this is not always the case.

The Reality: Why Leaders Resist Big Picture Thinking in Practice

Despite promoting the concept, many leaders struggle to embrace it when it emerges within their organizations. Several factors explain this resistance.

1. Fear of Disruption

Big picture thinking often challenges existing processes, hierarchies, and assumptions. Employees who think strategically may propose changes that disrupt the status quo, making leaders uncomfortable.

For example, an employee might suggest eliminating an outdated but long-standing process in favor of automation. While objectively beneficial, such changes can provoke resistance from leaders invested in the current system. Leaders may view these suggestions as threats rather than opportunities.

2. Power and Control Issues

Many leaders derive authority from their ability to direct strategy and vision. When employees exhibit big picture thinking, it can challenge the leader’s role as the organization’s primary strategic thinker.

• Perceived Undermining: If an employee presents a superior strategic idea, the leader may feel their authority is being questioned.

• Threat to Status Quo: Traditional hierarchies reward deference rather than proactive thinking. Employees who challenge norms may be seen as disruptors rather than visionaries.

• Gatekeeping Knowledge: Some leaders prefer to control information and decisions, fearing that too much employee-driven strategy could diminish their control.

In such environments, employees who exhibit big picture thinking may find themselves ignored, reprimanded, or subtly sidelined.

3. Short-Term vs. Long-Term Focus

Many organizations operate under short-term pressures—quarterly earnings, immediate operational challenges, or investor expectations. Big picture thinking, by contrast, is long-term and strategic.

• Misalignment of Incentives: If a leader is evaluated based on short-term results, they may resist ideas that require long-term investment.

• Risk Aversion: Strategic thinking often involves calculated risks. Leaders under pressure to show immediate results may reject forward-looking ideas that don’t guarantee immediate payoffs.

• Operational Overload: Many leaders are consumed by daily challenges, leaving little room to entertain broader, long-term thinking.

Thus, despite calling for strategic thinking, leaders may unintentionally create environments where short-term execution is valued over long-term vision.

4. Insecurity and Ego

Big picture thinking requires a certain level of confidence from leaders. If a leader is insecure or feels threatened by competent subordinates, they may unconsciously suppress strategic ideas.

• Ego-Driven Leadership: Some leaders want to be the sole source of vision and innovation.

• Reluctance to Acknowledge Others’ Ideas: Leaders who struggle with humility may reject good ideas simply because they didn’t originate from them.

• Perceived Competition: An employee demonstrating strategic foresight might be seen as a rival rather than an asset.

In such cases, leaders may discourage big picture thinking not because they disagree with it, but because they feel personally challenged by it.

5. Cultural and Organizational Constraints

Corporate culture plays a crucial role in determining whether big picture thinking is truly encouraged.

• Rigid Hierarchies: In organizations with strict top-down decision-making, employees who think strategically may be viewed as overstepping their roles.

• Groupthink and Conformity: Some corporate cultures prioritize consensus over innovation. Employees who present unconventional ideas may be subtly pressured to conform.

• Lack of Psychological Safety: If employees fear retaliation for challenging established norms, they may suppress their strategic thinking.

In such cultures, the official stance may promote big picture thinking, but the unspoken reality discourages it.

Examples

Case Study 1: Nokia’s Downfall

Nokia was once a leader in mobile technology, yet its decline is often attributed to leadership’s failure to embrace big picture thinking. Employees and mid-level managers foresaw the rise of smartphones and the need for software-driven innovation. However, top leadership dismissed these insights, clinging to hardware-driven strategies. The company’s unwillingness to adapt to strategic foresight contributed to its downfall.

Case Study 2: Kodak’s Resistance to Change

Kodak famously ignored the potential of digital photography, despite the fact that its own engineers had pioneered the technology. Leaders resisted big picture thinking because it threatened their existing business model. By the time they acknowledged the shift, it was too late, leading to Kodak’s decline.

Case Study 3: Amazon’s Culture of Strategic Thinking

Unlike Nokia and Kodak, Amazon has successfully cultivated a culture that rewards strategic foresight. Jeff Bezos encouraged employees to think long-term, even at the cost of short-term losses. This approach allowed Amazon to expand from an online bookstore to a global e-commerce and technology powerhouse.

These examples illustrate that organizations that resist big picture thinking often suffer stagnation, while those that embrace it thrive.

How Can Organizations Truly Foster Big Picture Thinking

1. Leadership Development and Self-Awareness

Leaders must recognize their own biases and fears. Self-aware leadership fosters an environment where big picture thinking is welcomed rather than perceived as a threat.

2. Aligning Incentives with Strategic Thinking

Organizations should structure incentives to reward long-term thinking. This could involve:

• Performance metrics that include strategic contributions.

• Recognition and promotion of employees who display big picture thinking.

• Investment in innovation teams or strategic task forces.

3. Creating Psychological Safety

Employees need assurance that presenting strategic ideas won’t result in retaliation. Leaders should actively seek and encourage diverse perspectives.

4. Encouraging Cross-Functional Collaboration

Big picture thinking often emerges when employees interact across departments. Encouraging collaboration between functions (e.g., marketing and engineering) fosters a broader understanding of organizational goals.

5. Institutionalizing Strategic Thinking

Companies can integrate big picture thinking into their workflows by:

• Holding strategy-focused meetings where employees contribute ideas.

• Developing training programs that enhance long-term thinking skills.

• Creating structured pathways for employees to present strategic insights.

What can organizations do to help BIG PICTURE THINKING and deal with resistance from a Boss?

Big picture thinking is a paradox in many organizations: leaders demand it but struggle to embrace it when their colleagues exhibit it. This contradiction stems from fear of disruption, power dynamics, short-term pressures, and cultural constraints. While some organizations successfully integrate strategic thinking, many stifle it due to internal resistance.

Ultimately, organizations that genuinely value big picture thinking must address these barriers, fostering a culture that rewards strategic insight rather than punishing it. Organizations can align leadership incentives, promoting psychological safety, and encouraging cross-functional collaboration, companies can move beyond rhetoric and truly harness the power of big picture. thinking.