Leaders: Change, Fear, and Faith

In his 2013 book Change or Die, Alan Deutschman asks, “Could you change when change matters most?”  Rarely does a person respond negatively as if to admit they cannot control their emotions, responses, and behaviors.  “Yes,” they exclaim. “If it was important, I could change.” Well, based on Deutschamn’s book, the experts think otherwise.  In fact, the scientific studies are reporting nine-to-one odds against your changing.  That’s right, only one person out of ten can change (or even more significant, 10 out of 100).  These can be frightening statistics for families, churches, and organizations. 

            Why is it so difficult?  In a video slideshow, Dr. Daryl Watkins identified the 50 most popular excuses “not” to change.  The status quo offers regularity, routine, and a regiment that provides safety, security, and stability.  Or does it?  As humans, we are creatures of habit.  Those seeking change are in the minority; yet, they are the visionaries, the innovators, and the trendsetters.  Seth Godin calls them tribe leaders.  Regardless of the label, they are the ones with the courage to move forward.

How do you react when you hear colleagues using some of the excuses listed in the 50 Reasons Not to Change graphic?

Fear and anxiety are contagious.  One person in an office environment hears of a significant change and immediately begins to spread reasons why it’s wrong and why it won’t work.  Some of the “nifty 50” that Dr. Watkins mentioned are commonplace when leaders seek change.  Some of the most prevalent heard in my office are, “Why change, it’s working” and “We can’t take the chance.”  When my colleagues resist change efforts with the common excuses, I’ll usually probe the response a little deeper and often find that the underlying fear is not the change itself (process, program, etc), but rather, how it will affect their security.  Listening with empathy can quiet many fears.  I don’t push people to accept change; but rather, ask that they allow some of its influence into their lives.  Major change and complete overhauls can disrupt lives unnecessarily.  Rather, gradually allowing the change to occur while monitoring its influence has great power to dispel some of the anxiety surrounding change.

Do you ever use any of these excuses yourself?

Sheepishly, yes. My excuses and pushback against organizational change is primarily founded on job security.  As a contractor, my job is up for elimination every year.  Each time the contract is reviewed, the Air Force seeks to cancel my position and turn my responsibilities over to active duty service members.  As a result, it is difficult for me to willingly embrace change because it is more than a process change; it’s a life change.  It’s one thing to welcome change and try a new process; it is something altogether different when every year the change is trying to eliminate your job.

How can you overcome the thinking that creates those responses to change efforts?

I’ve learned that my resistance to change at work is a fear-based response to the future uncertainty of job security.  Therefore, rather than allow fear to dominate my thoughts, I’ve chosen to stand on my faith.  I understand change.  As a minister, I walk with many men through difficult marriages and life challenges.  One of the key elements in our relationship is change.  I recognize that whether the challenge is personal or professional, I must be forever changing.  

John Kotter, the foremost expert on organizational change said in his groundbreaking book, Leading Change, “By far the biggest mistake people make when trying to change organizations is to plunge ahead without establishing a high enough sense of urgency in fellow managers and employees. This error is fatal because transformations always fail to achieve their objectives when complacency levels are high.”   Complacency can kill both an organization and an individual.  Seth Godin said, “The one path that never works is the most common one: doing nothing at all.  Nothing at all feels safe and it takes very little effort.”  Seth is correct.  He knows a few things about change and leadership.  His video The Tribes We Lead speaks of the power of leadership and connection.

Do you agree with Seth Godin’s concept that change is driven by tribes?

Seth understands that one is too small a number for greatness.  In today’s media-saturated culture, ideas abound.  The challenge is communicating them to like-minded people.  Ideas, change, creativity, and innovation arouse the inner adventurer in us all.  Since the beginning of time, greatness has found a way to reach multitudes of people.  Martin Luther King Jr. did not have the Internet and yet hundreds of thousands showed up to hear him deliver his famous speech.  What he had was a passion for equality and justice.  He connected with others who believed what he believed.  Eventually, his passion became a movement.

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?

In his book, Tribes, Seth said, “Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead. This scarcity makes leadership valuable.” He goes on to say, “If you’re not uncomfortable in your work as a leader, it’s almost certain you’re not reaching your potential as a leader.” Change is never easy. Change is uncomfortable.  As leaders, we must learn to channel the anxiety that accompanies uncertainty into the energy needed to make great things happen.  This exercise has helped me understand the inevitability of change and that the accompanying fear does not have to paralyze the change effort.  Rather, it can be harnessed and used to excite followers with the possibilities that lie ahead.

Steve