Accepting Change
There is little doubt that in today’s world, change is occurring at a rate more rapid than ever. Some businesses are taking advantage of this constantly shifting tide, while others are slowly being swallowed under the weight of the future. Those that are successful are headed by individuals that see change as a great opportunity, and are fearful that stagnancy is equivalent to failure. But how does embracing change make these leaders so successful?
Change is inevitable, so your success depends how you incorporate these changes into your mindset, as well as your job. You can either see change as an opportunity, or as an obstacle. While it is important to remain steadfast in your beliefs, resisting change often turns out to be a waste of time and effort. The key is to find ways to mesh the changes that occur with your outlook. People are capable of adapting. It’s all about embracing change in a way in which you can turn it around and use it to accomplish your goals. There is always room for growth, and change is what facilitates this growth.
As we all know, humans are creatures of habit. Many people find comfort and safety in the routine of their daily lives, and they are unwilling to break this pattern. I’m not going to lie, it can be scary to do things differently, and break out of the bubble that surrounds your life, but it’s necessary for success. Stepping out of your routine for even just a day, can provide a completely new perspective.
In an article for Forbes, David Sturt and Todd Nordstrom provide five mindsets that can get you fired. It’s no surprise that “I hate change” is number one on the list. They discuss how those that view change as exciting are happier in their jobs and more satisfied. They also discuss how being able to work with change shows that you are a team player. No goals are going to be accomplished if one individual spends their time trying to find a way around change, or just outright refuses to accept it.
In positions of leadership, there are always going to be people that resist change, even if you’re completely open to it as an individual and try to set that example for others. Recently in class, we were discussing how to implement more leadership learning in schools. One problem that we kept coming to was that the teachers were going to feel overwhelmed by the change, if they were not given the opportunity to voice their opinions about it, and discuss how they wanted to put this change into practice. It is important to realize that although avoiding change is impossible, there are ways in which it can be introduced so that it will be met with less resistance.
As a group, we decided that it would be best if a task force was created to implement the new area of learning, as well as to receive feedback from the teachers who were putting the plan into action. That way, the teachers could feel as if they had some control, while still changing their actions to suit the needs of the program.
It is true that the leaders of today that are highly adaptable to change are more successful, but they also know how to introduce these changes to those under them. If every person feels that they have a voice, they will be more willing to accept the change, and continue to be motivated to achieve the goals of the organization/business.
