CHANGE

May

2023

Responding to Change

Leading at work and at home, I know how hard it can be to manage and respond to change. Life and work move faster than ever, and we must evolve and adapt to the ever-changing landscape we operate in. Recognizing and responding to change is essential to stay competitive and thriving at work and home. Here are a few tips to help you thrive in responding to change as a leader at work and home.

Understand the Change.

The first step in responding to any change is understanding the change and why it’s happening. Then, take the time to research the change and ask questions if you need to. Once you clearly understand the change, you can move forward with your response.

Determine the Impact.

Once you know the change and why it’s taking place, it’s time to assess its impact. Ask yourself how the change will affect your operations, products, services, and customers at work. At home, ask how this will affect my family, schedule, and routines. Knowing the potential impact will help you to plan how you should respond.

Develop a Plan of Action.

After assessing the change’s impact, it’s time to develop a plan of action. This plan should include short and long-term strategies to respond effectively to the change. Finally, identify any challenges and create solutions to overcome them.

Stay Agile and Flexible.

As a leader, you must stay agile and flexible in responding to change. Be prepared to pivot and adjust your plan as needed. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things. Agility and flexibility will help you stay ahead of the competition and remain successful.

Communicate the Change.

Once you have a plan of action, it’s important to communicate the change to your team. Ensure everyone is aware of the change and the plan you created to respond to it. This plan will help ensure everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goal.

Responding to change is an essential part of being a leader. By understanding the change, assessing the impact, creating a plan of action, staying agile, and communicating the change to your team, you can prepare your team to respond to any changes that come your way. Sometimes when facing change, we need someone else to help us see what we can’t. If you need help thinking about how to implement a change you see coming? Contact me for a no-cost-to-you thinking partner session. In the meantime, continue to press on through the change. Lead Well.

Aug

2020

Resilient Leadership

I spent many years working with athletes. Some of those athletes were what we would call “tough” while some were “soft.” Reflecting back this toughness we were examining is the same as the resilience every leader needs to continue leading at a high level.

What is resilience?

When I looked up the definition I found “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, toughness or the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape, elasticity”¹ This means that whether we are leading ourselves or others we need to have toughness and elasticity to lead effectively. How can we develop this resilience?

Have a Team

No matter what we do a team is essential. A little league coach is more effective and can handle the difficult players and parents when he or she has an assistant. This teamwork becomes even more important the bigger the vision. Coaching little league is one thing, but leading a multi-million dollar organization requires a much different and larger team in order to be effective and stay in the game.

To do something great you need resilience and a key to that resilience is your team. As leadership expert John Maxwell says in his book The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork:

“One is too small a number to achieve greatness.”

Adaptable Thinking

In his book The New Toughness Training for Sport author and sports psychologist Jim Loehr discusses how undisciplined thinking can “kick our emotional targets far out of range.”² What does this mean for leaders? Effective and resilient leaders must exercise what Loehr calls “tough thinking.”

By tough thinking I do not suggest we stubbornly hold to our ideas. When necessary this is true, but we must also be adaptable and willing to change our plans when necessary. On the other hand, when difficulties come tough thinking helps us stay focused. Loehr puts it this way:

“Tough thinking will keep you from panicking when things get crazy, calm your temper when you make the unthinkable mistake, and prevent you from surrendering when the battle appears lost.”

Resilient leaders adapt, are tough, and have the discernment to know in the situation which is needed.

Growth Minded

I won’t go into the details of defining a growth mindset in this blog, but you can read a little bit about it here. What I want to highlight is resilient leaders demonstrate agility in their thinking. They adapt and adjust as challenges come.

Imagine of a star running back. He sprints straight ahead one direction and quickly adjusts because of an obstacle in the path. This agility is rooted in a mindset that says “there is a way, I/we just have to find it.”

After reading these three aspects, which do you need to focus on to improve your resilience as a leader? Need help thinking into this? Contact me today for a no cost to you thinking partner session. Lead well.

https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/resilience retrieved 6/21/20
Loehr, James. The New Toughness Training for Sport. Plume Book. 1994

Aug

2020

Three Leadership Challenges

I was discussing the leadership competency wheel I use with a client as we began the coaching process. During this conversation what came to mind were three challenges we face as leaders.

Before I go any further allow me to clarify these are felt strongly by those who are striving to lead and not just manage. What is the difference between the two of these? I don’t have time to go in depth with this and I cover them more in depth when I provide some of my leadership trainings. If you want to get a more detailed look at it then e-mail me at randy@wheelercoachingsystems.com and I will send you a free document.

When I was a strength coach much of my time was spent managing because I focused on systems, processes, and athletes efficiently moving through the process. On the other hand, when leading I take people somewhere they may have not been which can be uncomfortable for both of us. As leaders this is when we encounter the following challenges.

Risk

Gary Haugen, founder of International Justice Mission, discusses risk in his book Just Courage as not staying at the visitors center. This is the safe place where we can relax and be comfortable instead of climbing up the mountain to see the view. The mountain feels unsafe and difficult.

The mountain is risk.

Leaders must risk entering unknown territory. When we are fairly certain of the result and have the support of others this risk is minimal. Leading courageously outside our comfort zone makes the risk feel much more real. We see where we can go, but everyone else thinks we are crazy. Leadership requires us to step forward into this risk and grow.

Change

Change is a part of leadership. This could be a change in process or a large shift in direction for the organization or team. Many of us want to change and grow, but few of us want to be changed. The leader’s challenge is bringing people along to help them change with you.

John Maxwell in his book Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 which I facilitate mastermind groups around says:

“Vision divides people. It separates the people who will from the ones who won’t – and that’s a good thing.”

As leaders we must paint a compelling enough vision that people must decide whether they want to be a part of the change or not. When painting the picture, help them see themselves participating. The reality we must accept, which John alludes to, some will not want to follow. That is ok, but maybe their reason is tied to this final challenge we all battle.

Fear of the Unknown

“Leaders must be prepared to make an educated guess based on . . . whatever intelligence is available in the immediate moment.” Leif Babin

Leaders are constantly making decisions. The challenge is not the decision, but the paralysis of analysis. In their book Extreme Ownership retired Navy Seals Leif Babin and Jocko Willink discuss the challenge of uncertainty in leadership. Whether a personal or professional decision we may want 100 percent certainty and have ALL the details, but we never will.

The lack of complete information can create fear of the unknown. When we have anxiety from the fact that we aren’t sure this is the absolute right decision we may be tempted to “wait and see.” Instead, we must move forward with as much certainty as possible and be willing to accept complete responsibility for the results.

As Babin suggests above, gather as much data as possible, make the best educated guess possible, and move forward confidently.

What fear do you need to face to risk and lead change either personally or professionally? Need help breaking through areas you feel stuck in? Contact me for a no cost thinking partner session. Lead well.

Jul

2020

My Thirteen Year Old Taught Me About Leadership

I was sitting at the kitchen table. I had gotten up later that day and I was wrapping up my morning routine when the first one came.

It wasn’t a real one, but I was in so much shock it could have been.

My thirteen-year-old came straight to me and gave me a hug. I almost died on the spot. This is the child that says “ok” whenever I tell him I love him.

I was about to go workout but I knew he developed a new habit of going for a run in the morning. I asked if he wanted me to go with him. He waited about five minutes or so while I loosened up my old body and then we walked to the neighborhood park down the block.

The Second One

We start off and he flies ahead of me and I am thinking . . .

I am going to die if I try to hold his pace.

Since I wouldn’t mind living a little longer, (especially since we were about to leave on a vacation for the first time since being locked down for months) I held my pace and plodded along until my breathing and heart-rate were at a sustainable pace.

Although I did not have either heart attack I reflect on this experience and see a few leadership principles for many areas of life.

Adapt

I am a person of routine who sometimes resists change. When my son came down showing affection I knew I might have an opportunity and because I saw it, I made the offer to run with him. I’ll explain why in a minute.

As leaders we must adapt. This is essential now in these ever-changing times more than ever. We have ways we do business and routines to lead ourselves, but we must ask if they serve us or if a momentary or permanent change can serve a greater good.

Connect

I said I’d tell you why I made the offer to run. For me to lead my son well, or anyone, I must have a strong relationship with them. I saw I had an opportunity to connect with my son doing what he wanted. Yes, this aligned with my goal of getting exercise, but it was in the way he normally did it.

Leaders have the vision of where everyone is going and see what tasks need accomplished. The reality is vision will never come to fulfillment without a team. A team of people accomplishes the dream. As leaders we may have to intentionally slow down to connect and meet our team in a way that matters to them. This strategic and genuine investment will provide a long-term gain.

Long Game

Like I said, my son shot off at the beginning of the run, but as we were finishing the first lap I was right beside him. After the first turn of the second lap . . . I was ahead. What enabled me to do this since I am three decades older? Thinking like a turtle.

Change occurs fast and we must take hold of opportunities, but as the fable goes . . . slow and steady wins the race. I knew my pace and consistency would eventually pay off (and trust me my competitive side did not want him to beat me). This reminds me of Jim Collins principle of great companies that he discusses in his book Good to Great:

“Tremendous power exists in the fact of continued improvement and delivery of results.”

As I ran I was continually trying to get a little closer and each step got me closer to the result. As leaders we must consistently and steadily grow ourselves and our teams to get the winning result we want. We must hold our long-term vision clearly in our minds and the minds of those we lead.

What about you? Where do you need to adapt, connect, or become more consistent? Need help thinking into this with your team? Contact me and I’d love to help you and your team grow their leadership. Lead Well.

May

2020

Leading Into the Next Normal

I was scrolling through LinkedIn one day and saw an individual’s post sharing the phrase “next normal” versus “new normal.” As many transition back to work, we must recognize it will not be the same as we knew before. This transition creates an additional challenge for leaders.

If you are the top leader in an organization chances are you are a goal oriented and have a lean toward action. Not only that, but many of your key leaders may have similar tendencies expressed through their personal styles. Allow me to share a few ideas to keep top of mind as team members transition back into an environment different than what they left.

Flexibility

The present circumstances have provided an opportunity for leaders to grow in this area. Another word for this idea is resilience or the ability to adapt and adjust to change which is a daily occurrence right now. The next change element will involve re-engaging those they lead as the next normal is introduced.

During this transition leaders must create an atmosphere of resilience. Dr. Kathleen Smith suggests¹:

“The most resilient people see change as an opportunity rather than a monster to fear.”

In order to create an atmosphere of resilience leaders can begin to engage in the next two practices.

Boundaries

Effective leadership has always required clear expectations. During transition these expectations need to be expressed as clearly as possible. Here are a couple expectations to consider:

What are your expectations of workflow? Clearly defining the outcome you want from those you lead will create a clear boundary and eliminate unnecessary ambiguity. In times of transition clarity provides security. Complete clarity may not be possible but providing as much as possible with appropriate transparency when there is ambiguity will help any anxious team members.

What are your physical attendance expectations? If you have clarified the outcomes you desire this will help establish team expectations related to their time on-site versus virtually or other work force standards.

Communication

I realize this one should be obvious for any leader, but the reminder may be necessary. While leading in a time of constant change urgent matters receive the greatest attention. As the leader take time to not just talk, but connect and listen to your team. Slowing down to connect will enable you to get the pulse of your tribe and help determine necessary adjustments in internal strategy.

Pressure can be very high during these times but taking time to ensure a healthy culture that is productive and people who feel cared for will ultimately lead to serving others better and improve the ultimate desired results.

I hope these have challenged you to think into your focus as transition occurs. What is one action step you need to take? If I can help you in any way, please contact me at randy@wheelercoachingsystems.com for a thinking partner session. Lead well.

Jul

2018

What a Rollercoaster Taught Me About Change

Have you ever paused from being an adult to enjoy being a kid with your own children or grandchildren? A while ago I went to a popular Midwest amusement park with my family. Sometimes when the pressures of life are hitting it is fun to embrace being a child with your own children. Unfortunately, as we get older the fearlessness that existed when we were teenagers and in our early twenties can fade. What my body allowed me to do in my early twenties it now yells back at me “you fool” with a bout of pain or other unique bodily symptoms to remind me I am not indestructible.

So what does this have to do with change other than me not enjoying the fact I am getting older and my body is slowly changing while my mind does not embrace it? As I was at this park it had two elements, a park with roller coasters, and other rides, but it also had a water park. I thoroughly enjoy roller coasters and I chose to brave a 60+ MPH roller coaster with a gigantic drop. As we crested the top of the hill I looked down from the front seat and wondered what I was thinking. The car roared down one hill, up another, around corners and continues for a thrilling adventure I had no choice but to embrace because I could not get off (apart from a heart attack or other extreme medical emergency).

Sometimes this is what change feels like for us. Life happens and we have no choice, but to embrace it and figure out how we will respond.

We are in our job, click, lock we just sat in the seat of the roller coaster and there is no turning back because we need to support ourselves or we have invested too much into the business to look back.

Click, click, click . . . we start to climb up the hill of the track slowly as we build our business or fulfill our role in the department we hear rumblings of changes that need to occur because results are not where they need to be.

Vroom, whoosh we suddenly are thrown full throttle into the speed of change as business slows tremendously or the boss says: “it is time to change or we change you.”

This is one of the most difficult parts of the process. How will we respond? Will we push back and fight against the change thrust upon us by arguing how everything is fine if we stay the same? Will we deny the facts that business is slowing and not seek out help to change? Will we scream in anger and try to increase our control of what we can in hopes of avoiding the inevitable?

There is another option: embrace the change, swallow hard and see this as an opportunity to grow. It may not be easy, but in the end we will take one step closer to becoming more of the person we were made to be as we learn and grow.

Change can be a thrill, a terror or a combination like on a roller coaster. In the beginning it usually is terrifying especially when we do not initiate it. If we embrace it, trust, and keep a positive growth mindset ultimately we come to the end and like my son we may even say “it was awesome!”