Lead Culture with Jenni Catron JCLP EP. 36 Change Your Mind--Resist the Resistance
Many of us are resistant to change. It can be really difficult. AND it can be the pivotal moment that alters our future. There are certain critical moments that we, as leaders, have a chance to change our minds--to think differently in order to lead better. And when we do, the outcomes for those we lead are extraordinary. Let's dig into how we can resist our own resistance to change and lead others to do the same.
Check out last week’s episode to hear Jenni's thoughts about what must NOT change HERE or wherever you love to listen to podcasts. In that episode, we talked about what must NOT change in ourselves and our organizations. The bottom line was this: getting clear perspective on our purpose is essential for us to lead well for the long haul.
In this episode, we’ll tackle an equally weighty and crucial question: What MUST change?
Highlights from Jenni's teaching:
Seth Godin explains our resistance to change like this: “We resist change because it pushes us a place of incompetence.” No one enjoys feeling incompetent. Or out of control.
BUT, this is where we as leaders must change our mind - we have to be willing to be change agents.
With clarity on what must not change – purpose and mission – a leader must be perpetually curious and hunting for what must change. In fact, the perspective shift that is essential for every leader at every level is to see themselves as a change agent. You must be continually committed to identifying what needs to change and persistent to leading through it at a pace that others can stand.
A Key Tool for Being a Change Agent is the Keep/Start/Stop Exercise.
Often we convince ourselves that we can keep adding--more efforts and initiatives--without ever evaluating what needs to stop.
More is not better. More is just more. And adding more without strategically stopping just leads to exhaustion and overwhelm.
We’re okay with change when it means addition. We dislike change when it means subtraction.
Before the new year begins to run away with you, here are three assignments:
- Schedule time - a couple hours or an entire day - to get away and think through the questions: What Must Change? What are you resisting? What are you afraid of? What are you avoiding? (Any variation of these questions will help you get honest about where you need to lead through change this year.)
- Do the Keep/Start/Stop exercise. Grab a sheet of paper or go to your whiteboard and make three columns labeled Keep/Start/Stop. Then brainstorm each column. If you have starts but no stops, you need to dig deeper and be honest about what you’re unwilling to let go of.
- Pull your team together and repeat the exercise.
As leaders, we have to fight for focus. Opportunities abound. Good things vie for our attention. Your job as a leader is to determine what must change. Where do you need to think differently to lead better this year? Change starts with you. Lead well!
Be sure to check out our free resource, the 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership Assessment. It's sure to help you on your path to becoming a leader willing to be a change agent!
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