No leader needs convincing that change is hard, but they endure a constant barrage of commentary on the urgency for organisations to adapt faster to survive. If only it were so easy.
Leaders hear much less about how they can go about overcoming their biggest challenge: changing their own mindset and behaviours to get different outcomes.
It takes a lot more than flawed stories about burning platforms creating incentive and urgency.
I read of a medical study some years ago, where doctors told seriously at-risk heart patients that they would literally die if they didn’t make changes to their personal lives – diet, exercise, smoking. However, only one in seven was able to make the changes. One in seven!
In that example, the urgency and incentive could not be greater, but still people couldn’t do it.
The implication is that if organizational leaders and managers can’t change their mindset, they can’t adapt faster.
Denial, biases, fear of failure and favouring behaviours that are easiest in the moment all conspire against your success. All the while, time is slipping by and risk is compounding.
If you have been trying to get an important new initiative moving and not making progress for months, the odds are you won’t succeed without support.
Every successful athlete and sporting team is constantly measured and coached. It is not simply about improving physical fitness, but developing the belief and mental toughness that is critical to perform at an elite level.
Leaders and managers of organisations routinely use coaching methodologies with their teams to equip them with a game plan and the resilience needed to give them a winning edge.
If the goal is to make a step change, it begins with our own mindset. Gather and share evidence that can’t be ignored, tap into your team and networks, engage a mentor or a coach.
The most successful professionals in every field are supported by advisers, mentors or coaches to help them learn and adapt faster and to perform at their best when it matters most. In some good news, I’m very excited to offer limited places for a new 90 day accelerator private coaching program. If you’re interested, find out more here.