What If the Limitation Is How We See? — The Power of Changing Perspectives
Originally published on Digoshen in August–September 2026, as part of the Beyond the Old Playbook podcast and reflection series.
In a world of accelerating change, we often assume that better decisions require more information, more sophisticated analysis or greater certainty. Yet what if the real limitation is not what we know, but how we see?
This reflection explores how our assumptions, experiences and established mental models shape what we notice, what we overlook and which possibilities we consider. Drawing inspiration from the Beyond the Old Playbook series and the relationship between art, perception and leadership, it considers why learning to see differently may be one of the most important capabilities for navigating uncertainty, innovation and transformation.
Reflections
We rarely encounter the world without filters. Our experiences, professional expertise and organisational cultures influence how we interpret information and make sense of what is happening around us. These perspectives help us navigate complexity, but they can also prevent us from recognising emerging opportunities or questioning assumptions that no longer hold.
For leaders and boards, this creates a particular challenge. The knowledge and experience that once contributed to success may become a limitation when circumstances fundamentally change. More information does not necessarily lead to better decisions if we continue interpreting it through the same familiar lenses.
Art offers an interesting parallel. A painting can invite us to question what we think we see, discover unexpected relationships and recognise that different interpretations can coexist. Similarly, effective leadership requires curiosity, openness to alternative perspectives and the willingness to reconsider established ways of understanding the world.
Perhaps the most valuable question is not always What are we missing? but What are we unable to see because of how we are looking?
The Message
The greatest limitation to renewal may not be a lack of information or capability, but the assumptions that shape what we believe is possible.
Seeing differently is not simply about adopting another perspective. It is about developing the humility to question our own, the curiosity to explore unfamiliar possibilities and the courage to act on new insights.
In times of profound change, the ability to change how we see may be as important as the ability to change what we do.
What assumptions might be limiting what you or your board can see, and what could become possible if you looked through a different lens?
Read the full reflection here
What If the Limitation Is How We See? — Digoshen
About Liselotte Engstam, Digoshen & Novisali
Liselotte Engstam is an explorer of perspectives, an adventurer of ideas, a pathfinder of meaning, and a guide of timeless transitions. She bridges the worlds of board leadership and art, helping organizations and individuals navigate disruption while nurturing creativity and reflection.
As founder of Digoshen, she works with boards and leaders to expand future insights and reduce digital and sustainability blindspots. Through research, networks, and executive programs, Digoshen supports responsible value creation in the digital and sustainable age, contributing thought leadership via books, articles, events, Digoshen Exploring Leaders podcast, and blogs.
She also serves as Chair of the Boards Impact Forum in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the Climate Governance. The Forum convenes board members, thought leaders, and experts in dialogues, webinars, and collaborative events, accelerating action on climate, AI, and sustainability.
Through her artistic practice as Novisali, Liselotte explores creativity and meaning. Her watercolors, digitally reimagined, invite reflection and renewal, offering perspectives that connect head, heart, and hand, and complementing her work with leaders and boards.
→ Discover more at www.Digoshen.com
→ Learn more at www.BoardsImpactForum.com
→ Find more about Liselotte at www.liselotteengstam.com and her Google Scholar page
→ Explore Liselotte’s art and reflections at www.novisali.com and follow on Instagram @novisali_arts