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Organisations invariably view transformation as a means of positive progression. All transformation is change and so having a strong capability in change leadership is a good foundation. However, we all know that change works best with a plan and that ‘everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth’. Stuff happens, so being able to manage failure is a useful skill to develop.
Fortunately, within the 'dance of change' there are usually several opportunities to recover and get back on track. Spotting those opportunities in the heat of the battle makes a big difference. If you are going to leap ahead then doing something ordinary will not be good enough - learning to live outside your comfort zone helps propel you to the extraordinary.
1. Spot your opportunities
Change is a constant. We can ignore it, get lost in it, react to it, get ahead of it and even lead it. Learning to lead change in your favour is the key to creating a sustainable business.
Whether we deliberately cause paradigms to shift through intentional change leadership or take several attempts to do something right, change is sufficiently dynamic that it invariably offers every one of us more than one chance to make a break and take the lead.
The key, however, is to spot the chances and deliberately lead actions to turn them in your favour.
Two things to note when looking to capture the future:
1. Change leadership is a muscle strengthened with deliberate practice
2. The leaders of the future are those who are invariably living that future now!
2. Be extraordinary
The difference between the performance and results of a team and a high-performance team is exponential. Their clarity is different. Their conversations are different. Their commitment is different. Their compassion is different. And so on. The one thing that isn't different is that, as individuals, they are invariably ordinary people.
What they do differently is to do ordinary things extraordinarily well. What they know is that the extraordinary sits outside their, and everyone else's, comfort zone. What they believe is that their mission is to go beyond the comfort and create new worlds of possibility.
Transforming from ordinary to extraordinary is a choice. Choosing an experienced coach to accelerate your journey is also a choice - in today's world it’s probably the best call you can make!
3. Fire on all cylinders
Generally speaking, the performance of any team does not lie in the strength of the individuals, but in the strength of the connections between them. Creating a high-performance team is central to creating a high-performance business.
For many years, research has shown that sustaining high-performance in any organisation is largely dependent upon the level of excellence at which the executive leadership team operates.
In today’s fast changing world of ever-increasing complexity, it is even more important for leadership teams to fire collectively and efficiently on all cylinders.
4. Failing to learn is learning to fail
There are three stages to learning from failure:
1. Learning from failure is an after the event review. The damage is done.
2. Learning to avoid failure through risk assessment attempts to avoid the damage happening. However, we all know that no matter how well we plan, something might still occur to trip us up.
3. This leads us to learning in failure - while it is happening. Developing the ability of catching the failure and doing something about it to re-direct you back on track.
And then there is the glorious combination of all three in glorious real-time – in-the-moment mindfulness to risk assess, re-adjust and remember the triggers for next time. Learning to learn as an intentional and mindful act is an incredibly powerful force.
5. Rest – revitalise – renew
Four key things will contribute most to the future of organisational performance. The first is technology. The other 3 relate to people.
People choose technology, people programme technology and people work with technology. People either adapt and amplify technology or they resist and repel it.
For people, the 3 key influences on performance will be leadership, teaming and wellbeing. Elite and extreme athletes have long been aware of the importance of the latter as the critical decider between being your best and not, between medalling and not and between being a champion and not.
As we move into the beginnings of the emergence from this great pandemic, new opportunities will arise for those alert and able to both see and grasp them. Tired from the battle of lockdown and distracted by getting their life back, don't underestimate the lack of energy people will have to win these new opportunities. At the root of success lies the wellbeing of every work colleague.
It makes both great sense and great economics to ensure every work colleague returns to their peak as soon as possible.
If you are seeking to transform your business, contact us to discuss how we can help you create a bespoke transformation programme that enables you to successfully manage change and leap ahead.