Three Lenses That Quietly Shape How We Lead People

After 35+ years in organizational life, I’ve noticed something simple but powerful:
Most of what we call “people management” comes down to how we see people.

The lens we use — often unconsciously — when we interact with the people around us.

And it tends to fall into one of three patterns.

1. The “People Are a Problem” Lens

Through this lens, people are viewed as sources of friction:

• They need to be corrected
• Closely monitored
• Protected from mistakes

Work becomes an exercise in control — keeping things from going wrong.

It’s well-intended, but it creates a climate where judgment rises and initiative drops.
People start playing small because small feels safer.

And performance? It rarely improves under pressure.

2. The “People Need My Help” Lens

This lens comes from generosity, but it brings its own complications.

Here, the manager becomes the fixer, the guide, the person who steps in:

• “Let me show you…”
• “Let me help you…”
• “Let me take that off your plate…”

Over time, one thing happens almost every time:
The leader becomes over-responsible, and the team becomes under-responsible.

The work gets done, but something else gets lost — ownership, capability, and the quiet satisfaction of figuring things out.

3. The “People Are Decision-Makers” Lens

This is the lens modern work actually requires. It starts with a simple truth:
People are not problems to control or projects to guide.

They are decision-makers inside a real-time movement process — navigating demands, expectations, and internal signals every day.

Their performance is shaped by what they:

• Notice
• Choose
• Focus on
• Ignore
• Build
• Sustain

The manager’s role shifts from solving or directing to something more valuable:

Creating the conditions where people can see clearly and make better decisions.

Clarity, growth, and energy become shared responsibilities — not managerial burdens.

This is the climate where performance becomes sustainable.

Why This Lens Matters Now

Work has changed.
Expectations have changed.
People’s relationship with work has changed.

But one thing hasn’t:

People do their best when their conditions support it — not when they are controlled or over-helped.

Seeing people as capable decision-makers invites better conversations, better ownership, and better outcomes.

And it takes weight off managers who have been carrying more than they should.