Register to be part of future conversations in real time here

Or schedule a time to talk directly to our team here

Key Highlights

• Opinion vs. perspective defined: Opinions are immediate reactions grounded in feelings and bias that often shut down conversations; perspectives are broader views based on data that raise questions and open up thinking
• When opinions are appropriate: Three situations call for direct opinions - time-sensitive decisions, when someone explicitly asks for your judgment, and very high-stakes scenarios where deliberation isn't feasible
• Four question frameworks for offering perspective: "What lens are we using?", "If we thought of this as an X problem instead of Y, how would we approach it?", "What would [person/role] say that we're not seeing?", and "What are we optimizing for?"
• Acknowledge your bias to counter it: Either admit your bias upfront and ask others for different perspectives, or actively seek people with different biases and ask "What would be true if I abandoned my bias?"
• Perspectives early, opinions at decision time: When you have the benefit of time, gather perspectives through questions; when it's "go time" and a decision must be made, that's when opinions are needed

Notable Quotes

• "An opinion is your immediate reaction, grounded in feelings and bias. A perspective is a broader view based on data that raises more questions than answers."
• "Opinions often shut down conversations, especially if you're a leader. If you have a really strong opinion, everyone goes 'well, I'm not going to bother to weigh in.'"
• "When you have the beauty of time, let's get perspectives. If it's go time - high stakes, decision needed - that's where opinions come in."
• "Before you assert an opinion, ask yourself: What am I assuming here? The problem may be misidentified."
• "If you always offer opinions, your team gets lazy - they just wait for you to give the answer. If you offer perspectives, they learn to understand trade-offs and ask better questions."

Featured Speakers

• Dr. Suzanne Peterson is a Partner at CRA | Admired Leadership with over 25 years of experience coaching Fortune 500 executives. Known for helping leaders shift from "here's what I think" to "here's what you might not be seeing," she specializes in expanding how leaders see their challenges and opportunities. Her work focuses on high-performance coaching with teams already operating at top levels who want to get 10-20% better.
• Wes Bender serves as a facilitator and thought leadership coordinator at CRA | Admired Leadership, helping to connect practical leadership insights with real-world application through webinars and educational content. A proud Tennessee Volunteers fan navigating parenting teenagers.

Resources Mentioned

• Field Note: "Leaders Give Perspective More Than They Give Opinions"