Reality may be more than what is being perceived by an individual, but it is easy to fall into that trap and assume that, indeed, what you perceive is reality. [Perception is not reality @ Psychology Today].
I find this to be really scary, whatever someone else perceives will be perceived as being reality or shaping his own notion of it!
Having this in consideration will help you better understand when others talk with you; identifying potential assumptions; questioning for their context, to understand their perspective; etc.
How it shaped my leadership
- Constantly trying to understand how my actions, or my teams’, would be perceived by others;
- If someone reports me a situation I always double click to get to the facts;
- I never assume that someone might be lying, most times its their incomplete perception of the situation that shapes what they believe are facts.
Example
You agree with your line manager to take some time-off today and that you will make it later tonight.
Your individual contributor sees you working at 00h15, e.g. a commit timestamp.
- Will he know that you agreed with your lead?
- Will he think that you did overtime?
- Will that positively re-enforce that its ok to work after-hours?
- And your peers? Will they think that you are trying to over-achieve?
- How will that shape their relationship with you or with the company?