OPPI PERSPECTIVE LENS™
ED BY MJ MICHAUD
A bridge between
intentions,
perceptions, and impacts
Leadership depends not only on leaders’ behaviors, but also on how those behaviors are perceived and interpreted. The same behavior can be experienced differently depending on the person and the context, influencing relationships, decisions, and, ultimately, organizational culture.
Developed by MJ Michaud, the OPPI Perspective Lens™ is a simple analytical framework that helps identify gaps between intention, perception, and impact in leadership.
It helps us understand why the same behavior can be experienced differently from the inside and the outside, and how these perceptions gradually shape trust, credibility, and group dynamics.
The model is based on four dimensions of perception that are often overlooked when the focus is solely on actions: organizational, peer, personal, and impact.
By linking these four dimensions to the triad of intention → perception → impact, the OPPI Perspective Lens™ makes it easier to identify gaps between what we aim to achieve and what we actually achieve.
(O) Organizational perception
The way behavior is perceived by the organization (norms, culture, implicit values, work style).
(P) Peer perception
How colleagues, teams, and other leaders around that person feel.
(P) Personal perception
How the leader perceives themselves through this behavior: their stress, their sense of control, their mental load, and their satisfaction.
(I) Perceived Impact
The observable effects on results, prioritization, decision-making clarity, and leadership quality.
Highlighting the gap between intention and impact
Over time, many leaders realize that there is a disconnect between their intentions and how their behavior is actually perceived.
The OPPI Perspective Lens™ addresses precisely this gap: it helps clarify:
- What the leaderwantsto convey (intention).
- What othersperceive(perception).
- Whatactually happens(impact).
By applying this framework to a real-world leadership situation, every leader can:
- Identify the sources of misunderstandings or tensions.
- Identify early warning signs before they turn into relationship or organizational problems.
- Strengthening one's metacognitive skills: that is, observing one's own behaviors and their effects in real time.
Specific examples:
A leader, often frustrated by having to juggle multiple demands at once, perceives this situation as chaotic and difficult to manage. They feel as though they must constantly adapt, with little real control over the situation.
Yet this same leader admits that he feels useful when he responds to these requests. This gradually leads him to accept every request, attend endless meetings, and respond to messages nonstop.
At the time, these behaviors convey an image of availability and commitment, while reinforcing an immediate sense of contribution and usefulness.
✦ OPPI Perspective Lens™ assessment of leadership behavior:
- Organizational perception: a culture of urgency that gradually takes hold and becomes an unspoken norm in the team’s operations
- Peer perception: a high level of perceived commitment, but availability that is perceived as fragmented, scattered, and sometimes difficult to keep track of
- Personal perception: increasing mental overload and a sense of guilt stemming from having to constantly divide one’s attention among multiple priorities
- Perceived impact: a gradual decline in strategic perspective, prioritization, and clarity in decision-making, which can undermine the quality of leadership
✦ Highlighting the relationship between intention and impact:
- Initial goal: to be helpful and support others and the organization.
- Perceptions that develop over time: mental overload and fragmented attention can gradually lead to delays, a lack of focus when listening, and a sense of impatience in interactions.
- Impact on leadership: a culture that values urgency, where responsiveness gradually takes precedence over a leader’s presence, clarity, and credibility.
Example No. 2
A leader who is strongly focused on short-term results feels constant pressure to deliver quickly and secure results within tight deadlines.
To address this, he is gradually bridging the gap between strategy and execution and getting directly involved in key projects to ensure that objectives are met.
He centralizes decision-making, makes constant adjustments, and gets involved in the operational details. In the moment, this gives him a sense of control, effectiveness, and mastery of the situation.
✦ OPPI Perspective Lens™ assessment of leadership behavior:
- Organizational perception: a culture that values immediate results and a sense of urgency, with decision-making gradually becoming centered around a leader who has become indispensable
- Peer perception: perceived as highly skilled, but also as having limited autonomy and difficulty delegating
- Personal perception: a high mental load stemming from the need to monitor and verify everything oneself, which gradually reinforces an identity as an indispensable expert leader
- Perceived impact: a gradual decline in confidence, autonomy, and initiative within teams, which limits organizational development in the long term
✦ Highlighting the relationship between intention and impact:
- Initial goal: to perform well and deliver results.
- Perceptions that develop over time: a sense of micromanagement and a lack of trust that gradually take hold in the workplace.
- Impact on leadership: a culture strongly focused on short-term performance, where the leader becomes central to the team’s functioning, at the expense of collective development and autonomy.
A framework developed by MJ Michaud to help leaders identify their hidden dynamics and transform their leadership into concrete tools.
Understanding these dynamics is the first step. Turning them into concrete leadership tools is another. The OPPI Perspective Lens™ is used in MJ Michaud’s coaching sessions to help leaders identify their blind spots, adjust their behaviors, and strengthen the real impact of their leadership in their environment. Ready to explore your own leadership perspective? Schedule an initial consultation.
