Glorious Privilege – Embracing the constant of change… by facing into your fears

How is it that certain leaders can ride the wave of extreme change in the most successful ways while others crumble and fail? What sets them apart? 🌊

For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, let me introduce you to The Change Curve (featured in day 2 of the Seventh Wave Leadership Development Programme!).

In my observations, successful change leaders exhibit these five daily habits that empower them to navigate challenging periods:

1️⃣ Embrace Paranoia – As heavy as it sounds, great leaders ask tough “what if” questions regularly – e.g., “What if we lose that client?” – “What if Sam leaves?” – (even positive ones that have an effect) “What if we doubled our sales?” – “What if Covid struck again?”

2️⃣ Maintain Personal Brand – Amidst chaos, great leaders cultivate a sense of calm. After all, if they don’t, who will? A composed leader is a guiding light for their team.

3️⃣ Encourage Open Dialogue – At the resistance stage, successful leaders actively promote open dialogue. “Let’s get it all on the table, team!” This allows for honest discussions, venting, and strategic planning.

4️⃣ Seek Change Agents – Successful leaders identify and enlist change agents who support the change and work behind the scenes to facilitate the transformation.

5️⃣ Remain Robustly Positive – A positive attitude is infectious. Successful leaders maintain a robustly positive outlook, inspiring their teams to weather the storm with resilience.

🌟 Here’s an exceptional example from a CEO I admire. 🌟

On the day Covid struck, he realised that this change would (and did) send shockwaves throughout his business… and on that same day, his number 2 decided to leave the business. So what did he do?

He moved the traditional once-a-month board meeting to a daily 4 pm catch-up (even sometimes on weekends!).

It was a brilliant move and had a seismic effect on the business, literally transforming communication and actions overnight. Engagement soared, sales remained steady, and future success was meticulously charted. 📈

When asked about the secret to his success, he said:

“I planned for it.”

Face into those fears, make plans, and radiate calm. Success in change management is not about avoiding turbulence but learning to soar through it! 🚀👊

-Nick