Are You Leading Change?
My personal approach to leading change is rooted in focusing on long term gain through the engine of communication, intentionality, and understanding the “why”. In other words, creating space and opportunity to reinforce the importance of all these factors through consistency is my aim. In my opinion, you can have a great team but if any of those mentioned factors are not established one will come up short as they reach for success. It’s like a sports team looking to get over the hill. Trying to figure out which piece of the puzzle is missing to garner them the success they desire and have been working for. Another piece of my leading change approach is meeting people where they are at and challenging them. People are generally happy with being met where they are at, however, many have an issue with being challenged. Within this epiphany, I have come to understand that carrying the load of being a leader and displaying leadership at times comes with unhappy people. I consider myself to be a person who cares about others and their feelings and at one point in my life, it was to the extent of me being a people pleaser. This trait is what the young folks would call TOXIC. Praise God for growth and thank you to the people who mishandled my people pleasing ways. You helped me set boundaries that I had not set before.
Rolling along, you know I have to give you a real-life example of someone I admire in terms of their leadership approach. In this week’s episode, I present to you former President… Barak Obama! *Cues Young Jeezy x My President*. Regardless of political agendas, if he lowered taxes, or said hi to you at Kroger, there is no question that his leading change approach made him an outstanding leader. To this day, he is respected not by what he has done but because of who he is. In my opinion, that is where leading change begins. What good is the perfect plan or a high IQ if the person leading the charge is a grinch? Don’t get it twisted, competence and execution are necessary tools when it comes to leading change. However, great leaders know they don’t have all the answers and they need a great team around them. This is made evident in John Kotter’s 8-step change model. I think President Obama did a PHENOMENAL job in choosing his most important team member, his wife, Michelle Obama. I heard the secret to a man’s holistic success is found in his ability to find a wife who can challenge him to be his best every day and whom he can love to no end. I’m on my journey to find my Queen!!
As I put a bow on this present, you know I have to point out flaws in my ways. Not because I am a pessimistic individual. This tactic helps me remain humble and focused on continual growth on a daily basis. My leading change approach can change by not holding on to people longer than I should. This is probably one of my biggest faults to date. Whether in my personal or professional life, I have been known to ride with things until the wheels fall off. As I type, my question to myself is…Why? Why wait until the wheels fall off? This may have something to do with my three-strike rule or me wanting to see the best in people. However, I have come to realize that I waste time, energy, and effort when I do that. You all please pray for me in that area because it is hard to get out of that mindset. I know that it may come to bite me one day, so I’d rather learn to get out of those ways sooner than later.
What’s your approach to leading change? Does it change from situation to situation? All I know is this. When leading change make sure you do these 2 things:
1. Check your intent.
2. Treat people right.
Until next time.
- Reggie J
