People hate change. Knowing, understanding, and embracing this simple truth is one of the most crucial, yet most difficult, parts of leadership. As leaders, our very existence is predicated on the idea that change must happen. No one needs a leader to stay where they are- you need a leader to take you somewhere. And going anywhere, even somewhere you want and need to go, requires change. People hate that.
That's why teleporting is so popular in movies. It's requires almost no effort to make a change. How cool would it be if we could just teleport our teams to the place we want to take them?
The funny part is, people hate change even when they want the change and know it's good for them. I, for instance, want to be thinner and know all benefits that would come from being in a healthier place. Yet just try to get me to swap a steak for a salad. The change of lifestyle just seems overwhelming and exhausting. Even though I'm uncomfortable with where I am, I'm even more uncomfortable with the change.
It's all very discomforting.
Breaking through that barrier, convincing people to act and change, is what makes great leadership. It's more than having a vision or a destination, it's more than being able to communicate, and it's more than being admired. You need all those things, but you need to be able to use them in a way that creates action.
That's the ultimate leadership challenge.
No comments:
Post a Comment