By Erik Norman
Every leader has a default lens they naturally use to lead, decide, and create value. Some walk in asking “How will this work?” Others ask, “What’s the next opportunity we pursue?” And a few start with “Why does this decision matter?”
When growth stalls, initiatives drift, or leadership teams talk past each other, it is often because those questions are competing instead of collaborating. In a world where uncertainty and expectations keep rising, senior leaders, owners, and managers cannot afford that disconnect. Organizations led by people who recognize their own lens and intentionally make room for the others generally perform better, have stronger cultures, and adapt to change more quickly.
Three Lenses Leaders Look Through
Most leaders lean naturally toward one of three lenses. None is better; each creates value in a different way.
The “How” Leaders
“How” leaders see steps, constraints, and execution risk. Put a new initiative on the table and they are already thinking about staffing, equipment, handoffs, lead times, and potential bottlenecks. They turn strategy into schedules, workflows, and standard work. They protect quality, on?time performance, and margin by making sure the plan is doable.
When this lens is strong, organizations keep their promises. Commitments are realistic, issues are surfaced early, and teams understand what “good” looks like in operational terms. The danger shows up when How dominates the room; vision can shrink down to what is easiest to execute, and innovation stalls because every idea is judged first on how hard it will be instead of how valuable it could become.
The “What” Leaders
“What” leaders are drawn to direction and design. They naturally ask, “What are we trying to accomplish?” and “What’s the next move that really matters?” They scan for opportunities in markets, offerings, partnerships, and capabilities. They are comfortable making choices, setting targets, and clarifying what success will look like.
When this lens is strong, organizations focus. Resources get pulled toward the few priorities that truly move the numbers instead of being scattered across a dozen “nice-to-haves.” Teams have a clearer sense of where they are headed and what winning looks like. The risk comes when What is unbalanced by the other lenses: ambitious plans are launched faster than the organization can absorb them, and people experience initiative fatigue as priorities pile up without enough support to execute.
The “Why” Leaders
“Why” leaders focus on meaning, motivation, and alignment. By “Why” here, this is not the skeptic in the room or the professional contrarian. It is the leaders who naturally connect decisions to purpose, customers, and culture—the ones who help people believe in the work, not just do it. They ask, “Why does this matter to our clients?”, “Why should our people care about this change?”, and “Why is this the right move for who we want to be as a company?” They are often the bridge between strategy and belief.
When this lens is strong, organizations build trust. Customers feel understood rather than managed, and employees see how their work connects to something bigger than a task list or a quarterly metric. Culture becomes an asset, not a slogan. The risk shows up when Why is strong but What and How are weak—there is a lot of inspiring language and good intent, but not enough concrete direction or disciplined follow?through.
Where Things Break Down
Here’s what tends to happen when any one lens takes over:
When How dominates and What/Why are neglected, you get very efficient wheel?spinning: excellent execution on things that no longer matter strategically.
When What dominates and How/Why are underplayed, you see big bets that never fully land: goals keep shifting, and the organization quietly stops believing new announcements.
When Why dominates without strong What and How, you get passion without progress: people feel good about the story but struggle to see what needs to change on Monday morning.
As a senior leader, the work is not to pick a favorite lens; rather, it is to orchestrate them.
Using the Lenses on Purpose
One practical way to do that is to be deliberate about the order of questions in key conversations:
- Start with Why. Before talking tactics or timelines, anchor the discussion in why this initiative, client segment, or investment matters. Why now? Why here? Why us? This engages belief and frames the issue in terms of value and impact, not just activity.
- Clarify What. Once the Why is clear, define what success actually looks like. What outcome are you committing to? What will be true 12–18 months from now if this works? What will you say “no” to so this can be a real priority?
- Design the How. Only then move into process, structure, and resource decisions. How will you phase the work? How will you protect capacity? How will you measure progress and course?correct?
This basic sequence keeps meetings from getting hijacked by the strongest lens in the room. It gives each type of leader the right moment to add value and leads to decisions that people understand, support, and can execute.
A Personal Leadership Exercise
For me, the natural pull is toward What and Why. I get energy from thinking about direction, possibilities, and purpose. The How side of the work is where I most often need strong partners and systems, because that is where my energy drains faster. Most leaders have a similar tilt. The point is not to fix your wiring; it is to know it and build around it.
As you think about your own role—whether as an owner, senior executive, or manager—consider which question you ask first, almost automatically:
- Do you default to “How will we do this?”
- Do you instinctively ask “What are we doing?”
- Or do you begin with “Why are we doing this?”
Over the next 30 days, pick one recurring meeting or project check-in and intentionally lead from a different lens than your default. If you are a strong How leader, open with Why and What before you talk process. If you are a What leader, spend more time surfacing the Why and inviting your How leaders to stress?test the plan. If you are a Why leader, translate some of that meaning into sharper What’s and clearer How’s.
The goal is not to change who you are. The goal is to become fluent in all three questions so you can create the clarity, momentum, and trust your organization needs.
