Your lens colors your world—and your ability to lead
How often do you pause and consider the lens you’re looking through? Not just for the easy stuff, but for the tough, defining questions that shape the quality of your life and leadership? Your lens isn’t just a passive perspective; it’s a powerful tool that shapes your reality. And here’s the kicker—it’s within your control.
I teach a really popular BRAVE workshop that takes teams through a process designed to build buy-in for organizational change. The first step is guiding teams to recognize and, when needed, reframe the lens they’re operating from. Why? Because better questions lead to better outcomes. Are you asking questions that inadvertently keep your team stuck? Or do you know how to elevate the conversation? A leader’s lens can be the difference between roadblocks and results… Your choice.
One of my all-time-favorite leaders just shared that even though her BRAVE Immersion was over two years ago, she STILL reminds herself to "reframe."
BRAVE Tip of the Week: Your Lens is Your Compass
Your lens does more than shape perception; it directs your responses—defensiveness vs. openness, hesitation vs. courage. It influences your mindset, your actions, the questions you ask and ultimately, the problems you choose to solve. This isn’t just about seeing the world differently; it’s about moving through the world differently. Your lens determines your direction and your results.
For example: Consider British Airways. Faced with baggage claim delays, imagine the solutions you’d brainstorm if asked, “How do we fix the problem of baggage claim?” Now, shift the question: “How do we create an exceptional arrival experience?” Feel that difference?
When we focus on “fixing a problem,” we’re stuck in a loop of negativity, moving from negative to neutral at best. But when we reframe to focus on creating something exceptional, we shift from problem-solving to possibility-creating. This shift is what turns obstacles into opportunities.
Stress Can Limit Your Lens—Community Can Expand It
Stress narrows our focus, keeping us in survival mode. We often miss this opportunity to reframe when we’re under stress. Could this be happening to you? That’s why we need a strong community to help us step out of autopilot and actively choose our lens. When surrounded by like-minded people, we can shift from simply managing crises to truly thriving. If this would support someone in your life, forward this along!
A Personal Reframe from 9/11
This week marks 23 years since I was a senior in high school in NYC, standing in the shadow of an unimaginable crisis. My dad, who once worked in Intelligence, kept saying, “They need to get together…” a phrase he often used when coaching my childhood soccer team. I remember being endlessly curious about his perspective that day. All I know is that he locked himself in his office for hours intent on getting through to the White House - I’ll never know if he did.
One thing I took away though was that, even in times of crisis, challenge or change, his approach was always the same: Step 1—gather. Step 2—listen. That became the foundation of the BRAVE Framework. In 2018, our first BRAVE conversation brought together 9/11 survivors, first responders, the Muslim community, and students over coffee. We gathered to listen bravely, to understand each other’s perspectives. I’ve learned that while you can’t erase the pain of hard experiences, you can choose to let them propel you forward. That’s the power of your lens—actively choosing to reframe, to find resilience in the midst of hardship.
Reframing for Unity, Not Just Crisis
As we remember 9/11, let’s also recall the unity that emerged in its wake. Why do we only unite against a common “evil” and not for a shared good? Consider this for your teams and families:
What if we could skillfully create that same unity without needing a crisis?
How can we let our challenges become our greatest opportunities to unite rather than divide?
What language are we using to disagree, brainstorm, and support each other?
THIS is why BRAVE exists. To be that structure, that framework, that language we speak to each other on purpose, through good times and bad. The language that builds unshakable community. Community that builds resilience… and results.
How BRAVE Helps You Adjust Your Lens
At BRAVE, we know that the questions we ask are fundamental to our growth. We create environments where you’re constantly challenged to reconsider the lens through which you see the world. We push you to ask better questions — ones that aren’t just about fixing problems but about creating extraordinary possibilities.
The Brave Framework® is built to help you master this skill. Step-by-step, we’ll guide you to become more aware of your lens, understand its limitations, and empower you to expand it. You’ll learn to harness a growth mindset, understand your biases, and reframe your thinking to lead with purpose and clarity.
In our community, you’ll find people, like you, committed to doing the deep work. People who help you see beyond your current frame and elevate your thinking. Because, the truth is, to lead bravely, we need each other. We need people who help us see beyond our own blind spots and remind us of our power to shape not just our lives, but the lives of those we lead.
If you’d like to learn more about BRAVE, doors to our course are still open to you, before the public.
BRAVE Challenge of the Week: Where Do You Need a Reframe?
Take a moment to consider a situation in your life that could use a new lens. Have this conversation with someone close to you, or hit reply and share your thoughts with me! I’d love to hear from you! :)
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