Earlier this week, I presented a keynote titled Actions to Capture a Bright Future to a National Sales group. It complemented the meeting theme The Future is Bright.
I stated, “Although the future looks bright, there are various storms on the horizon—supply chain issues, recession, inflation, customer consolidation, interest rates, workforce challenges, and more.” Lots of change is lurking on the horizon.
President John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”
Let me share my main points in the speech to reinforce this week’s tip about change.
Leadership Tip
Preparing and responding to change will be key to your business and individual success.
When tackling change, start by embracing it with an open mind and consider these ideas:
- Look at change as an opportunity instead of a threat. Figure out actions you can take that will maximize any opportunity.
- When decisions for change are made, understand why. When you get clear on why a change is being made, you can communicate it more effectively and help others embrace it.
- Trust those making the decision to change for the right reasons. Leaders typically do not change for the sake of change; they change for solid business reasons to capture a bright future.
- Arrive at acceptance quickly. You may not like the change or agree with it. Yet, once a decision is made, you won’t be able to stop the change. Don’t resist.
- Don’t wait and see if the change will work. Move forward with the intent to make a positive contribution so the change will succeed.
A few other nuggets for success:
- Choose positive thoughts over negative thoughts.
- Choose courage over fear.
- Choose confidence over uncertainty.
Yes, change forces us to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, and it’s worth it.
