Lead the Change, Keep the Team
Lead the Change, Keep the Team
There’s an old African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
I reminded a coachee of this recently. He was preparing to launch a new initiative and anticipating resistance. He felt strongly about the importance of this project to the organization’s success, yet knew the magnitude of the change would unsettle some of his direct reports; leaders who had been with the organization for years and were deeply invested in the past, not the future.
He could “go fast” and arrive alone at a solution that might look elegant on paper but prove unworkable in practice. Or he could learn to “go together” and build the kind of ownership that makes real progress possible. (more…)
News and business headlines continuously report on organizational crisis like downsizing, layoffs, overleveraged balance sheets, undercapitalized businesses, and bankruptcy. These are technical terms for the simple and traumatic reality of crises threatening an organization’s very existence. It hits all sizes of businesses, non-profits, higher education and municipalities.
As leaders navigate the uncharted waters of today’s volatile business landscape, teams are looking for more than just directives. They are looking for perspective, insight, and meaning.
Decades ago, as a teenager, I completed my final driver’s training class, eager to put my new skills to use. This rite of passage marked my readiness to navigate the open roads with my permit and a parent by my side. My father met me outside the building in his Ford Pinto wagon (yes, I’m dating myself). He moved to the passenger seat and told me to drive us home. My excitement quickly faded when I realized the car was a stick shift, while I had only learned on an automatic. Undeterred, my father explained how to use the clutch and coached me through every jerky, stalled moment on our way home.
I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed for the Christian Business Leaders’ Summit about my book, The Call to Faith Centered Leadership: Transformational Lessons for Leaders in Challenging Times. You can get a copy
As a leader approaching the end of the year, you’re likely focused on packing as much as you can into the few weeks that are left. This includes completing important work that was likely pushed aside months ago for more urgent priorities, wondering how much vacation time you’ll have to leave on the table, and preparing for the holidays. 
Recently, a client said to me, “It’s lonely at the top.” This person was feeling the weight of making major decisions that affect their company, their customers, employees, and shareholders. These are decisions that often must be made without clear or complete information; stakeholders might criticize them; and the impact may not be understood for months or years to come.
Earlier this year I signed up to complete my third half-marathon which is scheduled in October. I consider myself more of a finisher than a runner, but here I am again. I keep doing it because it represents a goal that stretches my physical and mental abilities, and because I’m simultaneously raising money with a group called Love Runs to fight human trafficking. (Our goal is $150,000 and your donation of any size at this
Recently, while on vacation, I attended a magic show. The illusionist left us in awe as he disappeared and reappeared in various parts of the auditorium, passed through plate glass windows, and showed his sleight of hand. He made it look easy, even though his performance reflected decades of practice. We know that magicians manipulate perception, use misdirection, high tech props, and other psychological principles to do the impossible. But we were still trying to figure out how he did it.