Viewing Situations with Four Lenses - in conversation with Ravila Gupta
When light enters a prism, it splits into a rainbow of seven very different colors. It is seven different aspects from the same single ray of light. From one end, one may be able to see one color, and from the other end, they may see another. The same concept holds true for most situations in life. Each situation consists of so many different aspects and seeing all can be difficult.
Most people view situations singularly — as being one-dimensional and having only one solution. However, the reality is multidimensional — there are so many ways to view one situation — each one on a different wavelength. Lucky are those who are able to use different lenses to analyze a singular situation.
We are in conversation with Ravila Gupta — a strategist at the intersection of executive leadership, engineering, law, and executive coaching. She approaches each business problem with a multifaceted approach and is able to combine her broad expertise to develop creative and innovative solutions for complex problems.
Ravila, your background as a CEO, engineer, attorney, and executive coach provides you with a unique perspective — you are equipped with both creative and analytical skills in order to solve business issues. Tell us more about how you apply these four very different skill sets to approach (challenging) business situations.
“I look at every issue from four different perspectives. The attorney, engineer, CEO, and executive coach in me look at things differently and the instinctive reaction or response from all three is distinct; but combined is a valuable culmination. Let me explain the mindset of all of my viewpoints, and then go on to explain how they come together.
“The engineering part of my brain thinks uniquely. I see everything as a system and structure. A part of thinking in systems involves being able to deconstruct and reconstruct ideas, situations, and problems. The engineer in me has one simple reaction to everything — look at an issue, make assumptions and solve the problem. Engineers like to create things and in such a situation it would mean creating a solution.
“My second way of thinking is following the attorney in me. That part indulges in swift reasoning, cool logic, and precision analysis. Lawyers usually have one simple answer to everything: “it depends”. It depends on the situation, it depends on the people involved and it depends on how each one reacts. This thinking allows me to predict or calculate what can go wrong. It’s looking at the worst-case scenario and finding a potential solution for anything that may occur next. It’s about always being prepared for anything — especially being prepared for the worst.
“The executive coach in me thinks about asking powerful questions and asking all questions. These are usually questions that may help to find new answers, new voices, or new solutions.
“All these perspectives come together in a very rich way to help solve problems, approach tough situations and produce sound solutions. It is easy to jump to conclusions when presented with hoards of information. However, that is where I am different. I approach situations from three different lenses that I combine to create a solid solution to complex problems.”
Thanks for sharing, Ravila.
