07/02/2025

The Best Leaders Encourage “Spacious Thinking”

Encourage your teams to think more and do less

Soren, an executive in charge of the archives at a global arts institution, was told that he needed to deliver immediate cost savings and that layoffs were likely. Rather than thinking narrowly and simply demanding budget cuts from his direct reports, Soren convened a meeting with his department to discuss the broader question of its purpose and sustainability.

The team's conversation led to the recognition that there were overlooked assets in the archive that might be used for a new program. This idea eventually led to a top-line contribution of tens of millions; reductions in workforce were avoided. In contrast, other departments in the institution simply moved forward with cycles of layoffs which reduced morale and led to burnout.

For the last few years we have been researching two modes of attention that people use at work: doing mode, in which people pay narrow attention to a specific task in order to control, predict and get it done efficiently; and spacious mode, in which people pay attention more expansively, without hurry, making them more receptive to relationships, interdependencies and possibilities—like Soren’s approach to cost-cutting. Spacious mode leads to critical benefits in the workplace, such as gaining insight into challenges, thinking strategically, spotting opportunities, building relationships and sparking joy and motivation.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Harvard Business Review.