I’ve shared a lot about change. You know change is going to happen. You know you have to be okay with change happening…
But one thing I haven’t shared a lot about is what you can do, as a leader, about change. We’re going to lot at the things a leader can do to embrace change.
Photo by Joanna Kosinska
These are habits and actions that will help you overcome your resistance to change and to grow your organization. You won’t be left holding the change basket anymore. You’ll be the one sprinkling change like a fairy.
6 Ways Leaders Embrace Change
1. Be A Listener:
One of the fastest ways to become a leader who embraces change is to become a listener. As you practice the art of listening, you begin to hear things you used to miss.
Listening allows you the opportunity to hear what is coming. You can brace yourself and your organization for the coming changes. When you listen, you can prepare.
Become a listener. Listen to the rumblings around you and use this to become a change leader.
2. Fail Quickly:
We may not like change because we have a long-term view of how things should go. Our vision and our goals don’t allow us to make fast pivots and change course quickly.
This is where failing quickly comes into play. When you’re willing to fail quickly, you can move on from tactics, missions, even goals that no longer suit your organization.
Be willing to fail quickly. Change when change is needed.
3. Look for positive outcomes:
Jack Canfield shares that you can learn to embrace change by looking for positive outcomes. Change is all around you. You’re going to face it.
So, why not look for the best, positive outcomes that could come from change?
We often push back against change because we see the worst possible outcome. We think of death and divorce and shutting the doors. The negative outcomes we picture make change scary.
So, when you find yourself faced with a big change that feels overwhelming or scares you, stop and take the time to imagine the best possible outcome that could result from that change – and then simply choose to believe that you have the capacity to make that vision a reality.
— Jack Canfield
But when you shift to positive outcomes? Change becomes exciting. You see possibility all around you. Change is no longer scary.
4. Don’t burn the ships:
You’ve probably heard the stories of how the Vikings would burn their boats when they visited a new land. This gave them no other option but to conquer the land. They had to give their all because there was no way off.
For some, this is a great idea. For most, it is bad advice.
By burning your boats, you trap yourself. You now have no way to shift or pivot. You’ve got to stay or die.
By not burning your boats, you give yourself a sense of choice. You can choose to continue fighting an uphill battle or you can choose to change and move towards something that could be better.
5. Enlist help:
You don’t have to do the change thing by yourself. You can surround yourself with people who have embraced change successfully.
By finding other leaders who have embraced change before, you can get their wisdom into the change you’re facing. You can ask them what they would do or how they handled a similar situation.
Find a counselor or two that can walk you through change. By enlisting help, you will get the wisdom of others.
6. Get your mind right:
Last, but not least, you need to get your mind right before you begin embracing change. If you’re in a bad place mentally, trying to face change will be a battle you won’t win.
Remember to renew your mind on a daily basis. Read great books about leadership change. Get together with friends who can encourage you.
When your mind is in the right place, you can weather change more effectively.
Question: What are you doing to embrace change? Share your strategies so others can benefit from your experience.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.