When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge." ~Tuli Kupferburg
Change is not easy. But it is simple. Things will always change. We don't have a choice about that, but we do have a choice on how we react to change. The choice really boils down to this...either we manage change, or it will manage us.
As a leader, however, deciding to make changes is the easy part. Getting your people on board is much more difficult. Why is that? Quite simply, change is an emotional process. We are all creatures of habit who usually resist it, and welcome routine. Uncharted waters are scary!
The truth, of course, is that change can be a wonderful gift. In fact, it is the key that unlocks the doors to growth and excitement in any organization. And, most importantly, without it...your competition will pass you by. As a leader, a big part of success will be your ability to inspire your team to get out of their comfort zones; to assure them that even though they are on a new path, it's the right path, for the right reasons.
Excerpt from Change is Good...You Go First, by Mac Anderson & Tom Feltenstein
At a speech I (Mac) gave recently, I was invited to attend the company's awards banquet the evening before. The previous year, the new CEO had thrown out a challenge for all of the 6 regions...whoever had the highest % increase in revenue would get to host next year's annual meeting. Well, next year was here, and the winner was being honored.
After the CEO sang the winners' praises, the sales manager for the winning region stood up to say a few words, and here is what she said:
"THE DAY AFTER LAST YEAR'S ANNUAL MEETING, PEGGY GOT US ALL TOGETHER AND TOLD US 'HERE ARE THE RULES FOR THIS YEAR'S CONTEST, AND BY THE WAY, WE'RE GOING TO WIN IT! WHY? BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THE BEST TEAM!' Week after week she sold her vision of winning the contest; she praised, she encouraged, she listened, and within a few months, it hit home...we all believed we could win it." The sales manager said, "It was a magical moment, going from I think we can win it, to I know we can win it." Then she said, "We won for one reason...Peggy believed in us and believed we could do it...and we weren't about to let her down!!
I have to tell you, I got goose bumps when I heard her speak about what had happened. This may sound trite to some leaders, but during times of change, getting your team to believe it can be done is the most important thing you can do. It won't happen overnight, but through continuous reinforcement, listening, encouragement and most of all earning their trust, it will happen. And, when it does, A TEAM CAN BECOME UNSTOPPABLE!
This quote says it best... "A good leader inspires people to have confidence in their leader. A great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves." ~Anonymous
