What do you need to see?
I recently got new glasses. No stranger to eyewear, I started wearing glasses in middle school and moved to contacts in high school. When I had LASIK in my mid-twenties, my uncorrected vision was so bad I couldn’t see the big E on the eye chart. Having surgery was truly life changing - my vision was better and I felt more free and unencumbered than I had in 15 years.
It was a wonderful time, but I wasn’t surprised when, a few years ago, my eye doctor told me I might benefit from glasses again. And she was right. While I don’t need them most of the time, I do see value in correcting for a slight astigmatism and presbyopia. I enjoy the crispness when watching a movie or choral concert, and the magnification is helpful when working on fine detail work like silversmithing.
When I picked up my latest pair of new glasses, I was told to wear them as much as possible the first few weeks so I could get used to the new prescription and really see when they would be helpful. Sometimes they are, and sometimes they aren’t. Even though they’re light, comfortable, and stylish, I’m not a fan of having something in between me and the rest of the world, and I’m often acutely aware of the impact on my peripheral vision.
I often find myself asking the question…
Do I want to see less, more clearly, or do I want to see more, less clearly?
Do you ever find yourself asking a version of this question in your own life?
We make these kinds of trade offs all the time, often without even realizing it.
Digging into a line on the P&L when something seems off or trending in the wrong direction.
Trusting our kid to do their homework, but paying a bit more attention after parent/teacher conferences raise a question about how well they’re keeping up with the advancing challenge of the new math class.
Asking our direct reports about the high level progress they’re making, digging into specific tactics when they need help or are facing a particularly tricky situation.
Sometimes, we go too far, dig into the weeds too much, and fail to see the forest for the trees.
But often, especially the farther away from work we get as leaders, we fail to dig in when it matters most.
So how do you know if you should be narrowing your focus so you can see less, but more clearly?
Do you need more context?
Sometimes we need to dig in because we don’t have the context we need to understand the big picture. Diving in, for a bit, can help give us the information we need to understand the full situation.
Are you avoiding it?
Often, we avoid the details because we’re afraid of what we’ll find. Knowledge is power, and understanding what’s really going on can help you get the insight you need to move forward.
Is something telling you to look deeper?
Our inner wisdom is powerful. If you have a gut instinct that there’s more below the surface, insight you need, it may pay off to follow the hunch and dig a little deeper.
If you find yourself spending most of your time looking at the big picture, flying at 50,000 feet, perhaps you would benefit from a deep dive to get more insight and context. Consider whether you need a bit more information than you already have, if there’s a reason you may be avoiding digging in, and listening to your gut when it says you need to look a bit further. Perhaps seeing less a little more clearly will help make the big picture come into better view.
Where do you need to narrow your focus to get a clearer picture?
Will you send me a message and share where you’ll be looking a bit more closely?
February 12, 2026
About the author:
Christina Von Stroh is a leadership coach who helps her clients become wildly successful by applying iterative software development practices to achieve their dreams. Want to work with Christina to help you iterate towards the person you’re becoming?
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