The World Is Changing
I wrote this article last year at this time, and the message seems to still fit pretty well so am sharing it again.
Over the past week (now a year), ChatGPT has been in many of my social media feeds and has been highlighted by a few people. I was impressed when I checked out its capabilities. This could replace Google, Siri, and Alexa and make writing documents easier, particularly the first drafts. The world continues to change around us. The question is whether we're receptive to the changes around us or if we are stuck being ok with the status quo.
When technology changes like these come, we can be early adopters, fast followers, resistant adopters, or stalwart hold-outs. Depending on the outcomes you want in your personal or professional life, any of these could be the best answer for you. However, if you're focused on creating impact in a world that relies on technology, you need to at least understand what it is and how it is evolving your industry. Recent topics like RPA (robotic process automation), Blockchain, and the Metaverse are three other relatively recent technology focus areas that many of us need to at least understand how they could positively (or negatively) influence our world.
What does this all have to do with imperfect leadership?
To be the best leaders of ourselves and others, we need to understand how we approach change. Do we resist it, embrace it, or step hesitantly towards it? The answer is likely different from situation to situation, but I'm confident you have a predominant style.
Knowing how you react to change will influence how you should approach change situations with the people around you, particularly those you are leading. One of the key steps in most change models I've looked at focuses on influencing whether the change feels like a "want to" or a "have to."
John Kotter says,
"Change, of any magnitude, is about changing behaviors. That change occurs more readily – and persists longer – when it stems from a realized desire to change instead of a mandate to change."
As you think about the changes going on around you, in your family, your community, your workplace, or the world at large, how are you approaching those changes?
Are they feeling like "have tos" or are they "want tos?"
If they feel like "have tos," what steps can you take to get closer to "want to" and how can you get others around you there as well?
It's never a good feeling when we feel forced to change. However, we each are empowered to shift our mindset to look at what opportunity comes when we make the change.
Take some time to reflect this week on where you might be resisting a change that may actually be a good thing.
I’m wishing everyone a continued happy and healthy holiday season!
Melissa