A friend once told me that how you process major change in your life is one of the most important things you do.
Change can either be a catalyst to new opportunities or it can create a crisis of identity. Or more likely, as it has been with me, it creates both. Change often is both an opportunity and a crisis of identity. The key is figuring out how to get more of the catalyst side and less of the crisis side of things.
This post is adapted from my forthcoming book Change, the third in a series of practical books about life and leadership. The other two, Money and Authority are available for $2.99.
Whether it be your personal life or the life of your organization, everything changes. What’s your response to change? Does it inject adrenaline into your system, or cause you to panic?
I have a friend, his name is Bill, but we call him Yoda because he comes out of nowhere with amazing bits of wisdom. One particular nugget has stayed with me for years. In response to talking about young leaders, he said, “The problem with many young leaders is they don’t think there is enough success available in the world for everyone.” Meaning, we’re prone towards jealousy, excited to celebrate our own growth but hesitant to celebrate the accomplishments of others because they might steal our success.
Earlier this week, I wrote about 7 Ways We Stunt Our Growth, I need to add Bill’s insight to the list and make it eight. Envy paralyzes you and will always thwart our personal growth.
Is your growth, or the growth of your organization, stunted? Do you feel like your mission is paralyzed? Does everything feel static and uninspired?
Maybe your growth hit a rocky patch, causing you to feel withered or choked out. Maybe you just feel stuck in one of these areas of your life: spiritually, emotionally, financially, organizationally or relationally. You woke up one morning and realized nothing is changing for the better, and nothing has changed for a while.
There are some clear warning signals we send out when we’re stuck. I’ve seen these in my own life and leadership and offer them in the hope they may help you get unstuck. See if any of the seven following pitfalls are true of your current situation.
This post is adapted from my upcoming book Change.
There are good and bad ways to grow.
As an organization, are you relying on truth to inspire growth? Or are you shortcutting truth with parlor tricks and distracting devices to give it that steroid jolt—things that actually detract from your mission rather than add to them?
No organization is stagnant – everything that lasts is capable of evolution. Even brand logos change over time, and these shifts in branding represent major shifts in a company’s identity. Changes in technology can drive brand evolution, and so can company reorganizations, geopolitics, and even war. Companies that can’t adapt are sunk.
The titles of the three e-books I’m working on. Money is already out and the other two will release in the next few months.
When I transitioned from my role as Executive Pastor, that I held for over 12 years, I set out to write a longer, more traditional book on leadership. Then I thought: why am I writing a longer book? I hate reading long books, and many of the books on my bookshelf are only marked-up and highlighted through Chapter 4.
I decided to apply this realization to my writing; why not write the way I like to read? Who cares if no one else reads it, at least I will. For those who know me well, I’m not interested in a lot of fluff. In fact, writing can be lot of work for me, but it’s a discipline that forces me to think through my thoughts and convictions.
About Me: A lot of grace! That sums up my life well. Over the years I have had the opportunity to see a lot of change, in my own life, my family’s lives and the organizations I’ve had the privilege of being a part of. I believe that Life is a gift, Leadership is an honor, and Legacy matters. Read more...
