Have you ever met someone who wasn’t happy unless he or she was going through some kind of massive change? Perhaps there are a few individuals in this world who thrive on uncertainty, enjoy feeling insecure, and love to have their routines disrupted.
But I think it would be safe to say that most people resist change every now and then, especially when it affects an idea, position, or practice that is near and dear to them.
Although people in leadership roles are often called upon to be agents of change, I have found that leaders resist change as much as followers do! As you might guess, that poses a big problem in this world of rapid transition and constant flux. As John Maxwell wrote in his book, Developing the Leader Within You, “Unchanged leaders equals unchanged organizations.”
The willingness to change? That’s an interesting concept.
Consider this formula for change:
D x V + F must be greater than R
The formula states that D (dissatisfaction) times V (vision) plus FS (first step) has got to be greater than R (resistance). Are you dissatisfied with where you and your business are currently at? Do you have a vision for where it could be? Are you willing to take the steps to move your business in that direction, or is the resistance that you anticipate going to be too strong to change?
Let’s spend a few moments on each of these thoughts:
1. Even though a person’s Dissatisfaction level is great, if there is no clear vision of what success really looks like, then there is very slim chance that the person will be willing to move on.
2. On the other hand, a person may have a great Vision for where they would like to be, but if their dissatisfaction levels with their current situation are not great, then the likelihood for change is not good.
3. To make change, to move on from where we are right now, we need to initiate a First Step, a real and substantial catalyst for change.
4. Resistance is most interesting and probably the most challenging. Resistance can be external or internal, but the greatest resistance is usually internal…it’s what we say to ourselves. That little voice inside that will either make us or break us. It usually comes down to this simple cliché… “If you think you can or if you think you can’t, either way you’re right!”
So remember this next time you’re contemplating change and that little voice is talking to you… “It’s what you say to yourself, about yourself, when you’re by yourself that matters most”.
