Chapter 2
Coping with change
“Change cannot be put on people. The best way to instill change is to do it with them. Create it with them.”
– Lisa Bodell
Companies often update systems, structures, and policies without addressing the mindsets and skills of the individuals responsible for carrying out these changes.
A strategy’s success is limited if it doesn’t consider the mental attitudes, leading to old behaviors persisting.
Focusing only on business outcomes overlooks the essential need for people to adjust to these changes effectively.
In organizational transformation, introspection helps individuals align their intentions with their actions and words, influencing others effectively—this is the performance gap.
Identify your “Big Four” internal leadership personas:
- the Dreamer (CEO) for inspiration,
- the Thinker (CFO) for analysis,
- the Lover (CPO) for emotional intelligence, and
- the Warrior (COO) for action.
Effectively alternating among these inner executives as needed will leverage their unique strengths and skills, enhancing your adaptability and effectiveness in various situations.
Relying solely on assessment tools isn’t sufficient, as everyone embodies a broad spectrum of traits to different extents.
Consider a refined approach that appreciates your internal diversity:
- The key components of your profile and their balance.
- The resources and capabilities each part of your profile offers.
- The circumstances under which you engage each internal leader.
- Whether you utilize all available inner strengths, or lean on just a few regularly.
Individuals who don’t recognize their own feelings of annoyance, judgmentality, or defensiveness as they arise aren’t actively choosing their responses.
Everyone benefits from an internal “lookout.”
Especially during organizational changes, it’s vital for senior executives to collectively serve as this lookout for the entire organization, enabling more effective leadership behaviors.
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