Exceptional customer experience (CX) requires leaders to move beyond daily operational urgency (the "dance floor") to a strategic perspective (the "balcony") to observe patterns and design long-term solutions, according to the article.

• Amazon, Disney, and Safaricom are highlighted as companies successfully balancing immediate customer interactions with overarching strategic CX development.
• The "balcony" perspective allows for identifying systemic friction points and creating innovations like Amazon's 1-Click Ordering, Disney's MagicBand, and Safaricom's M-Pesa Global and Fuliza.
• This dual approach fosters empathy and immediacy from the dance floor, coupled with clarity and strategic direction from the balcony, leading to competitive advantage.