“On the day you cease to change you cease to live.”
~Anthony De Mello
In an age of rapid change, how well a leader embraces shifts in the professional landscape and uses them to enhance the organization’s trajectory can be a vital measure of effectiveness. Effective leaders see change not as an obstacle, but as an opportunity for growth. Embracing change keeps us relevant, valuable and at the forefront of the competitive edge. Businesses thrive when they embrace change.
Please consider the following: of the companies listed on the Fortune 500 in 1955, only 52 (10%) remained in 2023. That means 88% of the original companies either went bankrupt, merged or fell from grace due to decreased total revenues. Less than one percent of companies actually make the Fortune 500, which means those that do are the best at what they do. Furthermore, 50 years ago, the life expectancy of a firm in the Fortune 500 was around 75 years. Today, it’s less than 15 years and declining. Unfortunately, one of the reasons companies go under isn’t because they fail to strive for better, but because they don’t ask themselves the right questions and/or are unwilling to implement the solution. As a result, they don’t evolve. To sustain competitive advantage is to constantly adapt to change.
An effective leader sees change as an opportunity for innovation and tends to possess the following qualities: awareness, flexibility, adaptability, a positive attitude and diversified knowledge.
Awareness
Awareness involves understanding the need for a change, as well as the nature of the change. Although change is always occurring, when our awareness is scattered, we may fail to see the exact moment when one thing ends and another begins. It is critical to keep our awareness open to what is happening in the present moment, without being pulled away by thinking. With practice, awareness becomes more collected and we begin to see things more clearly.
Resistance can be traced back to a lack of awareness. Studies have found that when companies undergo major change, the number one reason for resistance was lack of awareness of why the change was being made. When people do not understand the reasons for change or do not agree with those reasons, they can create formidable resistance and barriers to change. People need to understand why a change is being made in order to work towards achieving that goal. A potent change leader will communicate the business need and reason for change, as well as what is driving the change, its benefits and the cost of not changing.
Furthermore, it is vital to be aware of and understand our own reaction to change. Leading change by example requires honesty and authenticity. It is important to be clear about our own emotions and thoughts about changes, in order to be straightforward with others.
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
~George Bernard Shaw
Flexibility
Flexibility is the ability to adapt to change positively and quickly in response to changing situations and environment. It is the ability to keep calm and persist in the face of difficulties, and anticipate and plan ahead, while having alternative options in case things don’t go to plan.
Flexibility is characterized by an open attitude. Openness to new ideas, new ways of doing things and openness to the possibility that how things are being done might not be the best way. The opposite of flexibility is rigidity.
Plans change, employees quit, new hires join the team, budgets are cut and grants are approved. Flexible leaders are able to change their plans to match the reality of the situation and recognize the need to change their course of action at the appropriate times. As a result, they maintain productivity during transition.
Furthermore, flexibility allows one to tap into creative instincts to generate opportunities and find non-traditional ways for business growth. This includes connecting with people of different backgrounds and generations to gain a deeper understanding of perspectives and experiences.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
~Charles Darwin
Adaptability
The modern business landscape challenges leaders to adapt to circumstances, people and technology on a daily basis. Adaptability is the ability to change to fit new circumstances. Adaptable leaders accept change, hone strategies for dealing with the unknown and shift their behavior to accommodate new situations and challenges. This is a crucial skill and an important competency in emotional intelligence.
Adaptable leaders understand that change is inevitable. If people are to attain new skills and make great leaps forward both personally and professionally, stepping out of a comfort zone and accepting that change is necessary- no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
For the most part, companies don’t fail because of changes in the environment, they fail because their leaders are either unwilling or incapable of dealing with change. In fact, companies don’t change, people do. Staying competitive in today’s environment requires not only the skill and will to adapt to change, but also the foresight to anticipate it.
Many organizations tend to depend heavily on finance and strategic planning departments that revere a five-year planning model. The reality is that long-term roadmaps must be flexible. Today, more than ever, leaders need to be at the forefront of change. In the late ’90s, the world was abuzz with dot-com euphoria. In January 2000, the valuation of Yahoo! peaked at $140 billion. Nearly 25 years later, Yahoo!'s $5 billion valuation is dwarfed by Googles $2 trillion valuation.
A leader needs to be adaptable and flexible, steering change and responding to change. Adaptable leaders display three types of flexibility which enable them to shift as things change: cognitive flexibility, the ability to use different thinking strategies and mental frameworks; emotional flexibility, the ability to vary one’s approach to dealing with emotions and those of others; and dispositional flexibility, the ability to remain optimistic and, at the same time, realistic. Very adaptable people rate high in all three areas.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
~Viktor Frankl
A Positive Attitude
Regardless of the nature of the challenge, it is important to respond to unforeseen events with optimism. The way we respond to change affects the experience and the results of the change. It is much easier to cope with change if we have a positive attitude to change.
We may not always agree with the circumstances or the details of the change, but we can still choose to adapt to it in a constructive manner. Having a positive orientation towards change involves:
Maintaining a positive attitude can improve performance and outcomes. If we respond positively to change, we can grow as individuals. Organizations that respond positively to change and innovation will also flourish.
Diversified Knowledge
Successful leaders avoid getting stuck in the confines of their industry. By looking at what is going on in other sectors, and seeing what is working and applicable to their own industries, leaders can gain valuable insights and discover new opportunities for growth. In addition, expanded knowledge decreases linear thinking. When you expose yourself to new ideas, you are better able to think outside the box.
Every experience a leader creates, communication they deliver and action they take will either support or undermine the change. In order to effectively drive change, a leader must communicate the need for change and define the results needed from the change, respond to feedback, stimulate curiosity and encourage a supportive culture within the organization.
Communication
Change leaders create organizational experiences that foster ongoing collaboration and communication. These experiences will empower the team and involve everyone in being accountable for moving the change forward. The leadership must drive the change, ensure alignment and see it through.
It is critical to clearly communicate the big picture. When people are aware of the end goal, they can actively work to achieve that goal. Moreover, it is essential to communicate purposefully. Learn to read others in order to adapt your communication style to suit individual preferences. Some people prefer talking over email, while others prefer face-to-face communication. Noting and adapting to these differences will make people feel valued.
Feedback
During a change, people will scrutinize leadership more than ever. They may be hopeful for change, but they may also look for signs of potential failure. Providing feedback focused on supporting the desired cultural beliefs and outcomes to team members is critical for success. It is also essential that leaders ask for feedback. Feedback will not always be accurate or grounded in reality, but it is the leader’s responsibility to ask for it, listen to it and respond to it. Let your team know that their voice is heard and what you are going to do to take action.
Fuel Curiosity
Curiosity arises when there’s a gap between what you know and what you need to know to be effective. Moreover, to fuel curiosity is to keep people engaged. In the book Curious, the author shares one study where subjects were seated in front of computer screens each divided into a grid of roughly fifty blank squares. When subjects clicked on a new square, a hidden image was revealed. In one group, each square revealed a different animal, while in the other group only a fraction of the same animal was revealed such that once all squares were clicked, one whole animal filled the entire screen. Participants in the first group became complacent after realizing that behind each square would reveal yet another animal, while those in the second group continued clicking because they wanted to see the bigger picture. Knowledge feeds knowledge. When you know more, you want to learn more.
“Creative thinking inspires ideas. Ideas inspire change.”
~Barbara Januszkiewicz
Create Support Systems
Regardless of where you lie within an organization, it is essential to look to mentors, friends, trusted peers, professional colleagues, family members and others to serve as your support system as change approaches. This support will give you the strength and resilience to wholeheartedly embrace the change.
Change presents numerous opportunities. It is a potent catalyst for progress. Change helps us adapt to new situations, new environments and new people, making us stronger and more flexible. Every time something changes, we grow and learn new things and discover new insights about different aspects of our life. It pushes us to re-evaluate our life and examine things from a different perspective, often reinforcing our life values. Ultimately, change creates new beginnings. It closes one chapter and opens another, presenting us with new choices for happiness and fulfillment.
Questions for Self-Exploration
The content, structure and flow of this exercise are designed to guide you in: