I remember going to a local movie theater (it was called the Eastwood) in 1977 to see the movie Star Wars for the first time. Believe it or not, nobody (except George Lucas) thought that the movie would be successful, so only a few theaters showed it. As a matter of fact, the movie was shown at only 42 theaters nationwide during its opening over Memorial Day weekend! There was really only one theater on the east side of Indianapolis that showed it - their investment paid off in the end because they were the only theater that was licensed to show the next two sequels. I absolutely loved the movie, and I went back several times to see it again. One of the coolest lines ever was the scene where Obi Wan Kenobi uses the "Jedi mind trick" on a couple of Imperial Stormtroopers (here's the clip).
Oh, how I wished at many times in my professional life that I could perform a "Jedi mind trick". I've often said that one of the most difficult aspects of leadership is managing change, or at least convincing the individuals in an organization that change is necessary. Wouldn't it be great if we could use the "Jedi mind trick" to convince the most resistant individuals to change? I suppose it's for the best that we cannot, so we will just have to come up with a more suitable alternative when dealing with individuals who are resistant to change.
Change is hard - for all of us. Leading change is even harder. Perhaps that's why there have been so many books, blog posts, articles, and even TED talks about how to effectively lead a group, team, or organization through change. I've read about (and used) a number of different change models during my career, and while all of these models are similar, there's pro's and con's to each one. I particularly like John Kotter's 8-step model (see a couple of my older posts: "Never let a good crisis go to waste" and "And the times, they are a changing..."):
Regardless of which model you prefer to use, I've found that successful change leadership requires three things (I call them the "Three P's of Change Leadership") - Passion, Patience, and Perseverance.
The first P stands for Passion. Of interest, the word passion derives from a Latin word that literally means to suffer. In other words, passion is the emotional characteristic that allows us to push beyond our comfort level, even pain, to achieve our goal. I'm not saying that change has to be painful (even though it often can be emotionally painful), but without a certain requisite degree of passion for the change, a leader - and the organization - will give up at the first sign of trouble or difficulty.
As Marko van Kalleveen writes in Forbes magazine, "Passion for the vision on the other side of a transformation allows stakeholders to hold fast, maintain morale, and see things through to the end. When widespread in an organization, it fosters the unity, conviction, and resolve it takes to move the needle." He goes on to say, "As a leader, it’s important for you to exhibit the passion you wish to see in all your stakeholders. Even on days you’re not feeling very enthusiastic, fake it. I’ve found that when I put on the guise of passion, I often end up feeling more exuberant than before." Passion is the emotional fuel that drives the commitment and dedication that is necessary to lead an organization through change. Passion is fundamental to creating a climate for change (Steps #1-3 in Kotter's Change Model above).
The second P stands for Patience. Don't expect to be successful as a change leader if you aren't patient. Stephen Doiron, President of Change Management Professionals, Inc. believes that one of the greatest challenges for leaders is dealing with resistance to change. Most of us don't like change, because it creates uncertainty and anxiety. But that's not really the full story. Doiron says that 70-80% of the people in an organization aren't resistant to change, but rather they are just "reluctant" because they are uncertain and anxious about the future state after the change (the original reference comes from a book by Douglas K. Smith Taking Charge of Change - 10 Principles for Managing People and Performance). Change is a process, and change takes time. As leaders of change, we have to bring others along with us - we do that by engaging and enabling the organization (see Steps #4-6 in Kotter's Change Model above).
The third P stands for Perseverance. Perseverance and persistence are often used interchangeably. President Calvin Coolidge once said, "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved—and always will solve—the problems of the human race."
Perseverance is not giving up. It is that firm and almost obstinate commitment to stay with a course of action regardless of how difficult it is or how much it is opposed. When I think of perseverance, I think of tenacity, grit, endurance, and resolve. Perseverance is the key to lasting change - to making it stick (see Steps #7 and #8 in Kotter's Change Model above).
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." What I stated earlier bears repeating here: Change is hard. Leading change is even harder. But it's a lot harder to learn how to perform the "Jedi mind trick". Successfully leading an organization through change requires passion, patience, and perseverance.
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