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A Word From our President
Welcome to Fall
As the seasons change, the brutal heat is gone and the colors of the leaves are great. Fall is a time of anticipation for the holidays, football and warm fires.
Seasons change, do you? We have countless of changes that occur all of the time around us. Work changes, family changes, priorities change, political changes, environmental changes, health changes and so on. Some changes we control and some we don’t.
How well do you accept or react when seasons of change enter your life? Adaptability and handling change properly are critical components of a leader’s skill set and responsibility.
How do you do that? Here are three actions you can take to be a better leader when change happens.
Recognize It. Leaders have to be able to discern and anticipate change. They need to understand the environment that they are in and when change is afoot or is required. They need to get ahead of change and prepare for it. This isn’t always possible, but leaders should always be on the watch so that they can calmly lead their groups through the change.
Own It. Leaders are required to understand ‘what’ and ‘why’ change is required to the very best of their ability. This means that you may have to dig in and research or ask the right questions to clearly understand the situation. Sometimes things happen rapidly that requires quick thinking and an immediate change in direction, and at those times leaders must have conviction in their decision making. They must be unwavering. It is important to note, this does not mean they are inflexible. It means that when your team members look in your eyes, they can see that you believe it, own it and can feel your sincerity and credibility.
Champion It. Every day, changes are communicated and team members look to their leaders for guidance and understanding. They are looking for subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) clues as to whether a change is good or bad or if they should support it or rise up against it. It is not enough for leaders to simply understand and own the change. They have to advocate for it. They have to lead the charge and do so in a way that is reassuring to those following that “without a doubt, we’re headed in the right direction.”
Being a leader requires action. It’s easy to lead when everything is running as it should. It’s a testament to a leader’s abilities when any or all of those factors change.
Questions to reflect upon, “How well do you handle the seasons of change in your life? What do you do to lead change?”
We hope to connect with you soon in our upcoming events!
Regards,
Zaki’ya Black
The WICT Network: Greater Ohio President
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