Leading through Change
December 25, 2000
From Disenchantment to Enhancement
Change is the new Shaman in our global village. Every aspect of our formerly safe, predictable lives is subject to his whim. Massive systemic change demands that we step forward and become bold, enlightened Renaissance Leaders, because now, more than ever, what we “do” profoundly influences “what will be.”
For Association Leaders, change has manifested as a challenging battle for human resources. Enormous competition for people power has resulted in memberships dwindling, volunteer staffs shrinking, and employees leaving for more money and perks in the for-profit world. Understanding this change is key to harnessing its power.
The Shaman at Work
By falling victim to the prevalent contagious cultural malaise of disillusionment, discontent, and disenchantment, many of us have invited the Shaman into our work lives. His ideal environment is a workplace that, although flattened, has become soulfully barren and rigidly constrictive, where commitment and joy are all but gone. Employees are asked to do too much with far too little, so their goal is just to make it through the day—and get out!
One 40-year-old’s comments capture the essence of what’s happening in the work world. “I just got the promotion I’ve been dreaming of—a substantial raise, a new title, and more responsibility. Am I happy? No way! Instead of a 60-hour week, now I’ll have an 80-hour workweek! I want a life!”
The malaise is corrupting our system, showing up at work as poor productivity, lackluster innovation, and loss of purpose. In our lives its presence is heralded by steadily increasing occurrences of addictive behaviors (such as substance abuse and thrill seeking), and a widespread viral dis-ease that manifests through chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and other autoimmune system breakdowns.
All living systems, when perturbated or shaken up enough, will breakdown into dissipative entities—and fragment. We are in the midst of a massive societal shakeup that is affecting everything—industry, business, society, and government. Systems that once worked are now breaking down.
The perturbation starts, like an earthquake, with a subterranean tremor that grows and magnifies until existing structures are damaged beyond repair. Yet as with an earthquake, once we work though our breakdowns, we gain the ability to break through or rebuild at higher levels of evolutionary consciousness. On a personal level, this process can be thought of as “soul seismology.” From a global perspective, it’s just another chapter in our ongoing evolution.
Renaissance Leadership—Pioneering through Change
I’d like to believe that our organizational powerhouses are radically reorienting their operating systems; demonstrating their own accountability and respond-ability by putting people, the environment, and sustainability first and foremost. But it takes gutsy leadership to bring a sputtering, outmoded, top-down “silo” system into balance—are our current leaders up for the challenge?
My mentor and beloved teacher Dr. W. Edwards Deming used to say, “95% of all problems and failures in business are system failures—they have nothing to do with the individual manager or worker. Only the leader can change the system.” To make a difference in business, leaders must first make a difference in themselves and genuinely walk their talk.
A top senior executive who is a mover and a shaker in the nonprofit world observed, “Not one of my top quality-of-life ‘must haves’ are in my current position! And I’ve given my whole life to this job. Now what do I do?” To answer her question broadly, those in power must establish an intrinsic purpose for themselves—a vision based on the credo of adding value for the long term. Once their personal vision is established, they may do the same for their organizations.
Given a big enough “Why,” the people will create the “How.”
~Nietzsche
Change in the Association
When I spoke to the NYSAE several months ago, I found that while there were variations in our group in terms of employer, academic background, ethnicity, and lifestyle, there were startling commonalties. The overwhelming majority of the audience were midlifers, between 40 and 60 years of age, who revealed that they, like much of our society, have succumbed to the cultural malaise of disillusionment, discontent, and disenchantment. All came looking for answers; some came looking for the right questions to ask.
Reality Bytes—in Midlife!
Although folks of all ages are in the process of questioning their quality of life and seeking purposeful work, the majority of us are firmly rooted in midlife. Midlife is typically the time when we begin to turn inward, seeking a new paradigm or transcendental cause in which we can anchor the second “half” of our lifespan. Our lives become unstable and intensely uncomfortable as we recreate and replace existing paradigms, moving beyond what we have known. Although frequently stressful, this transition gives us the opportunity reinvent, innovate, and access our as-yet-untapped potential. Demographically speaking, the number of midlifers is approaching a critical mass. We have the people power necessary to effect global transformation. Leveraging the possibility of our personal transitions with our collective power will produce sustainable and mutually beneficial outcomes.
During my NYSAE talk, one woman’s comments mirrored her cohorts concerns: “ I’m 41 and I’m finished! I can’t get a good job!” Another chimed in with “I’m a 52-year-old top-level executive and I feel washed up!” Then a man who loves his work offered, “I’m 63 . . . without working, I have nothing!”
Regardless of age or position, all of these professionals wanted to move past their resistance and progress along the change continuum, learning and relearning how to live their lives in new and fulfilling ways. Common questions from those on the change continuum are: “How can I make a difference?” and, “How do I need to change or grow to really make my future work?”
It’s not just how much you know, but how soon you know it.
~Karen Sands
Where Are YOU on the Change Continuum?
Clueless . . . Considering . . . In the Midst . . . Nearing Completion . . . On the Other Side . . .?
Continuous change allows our lives to grow and unfold naturally. At a deep level we may know that change is necessary and either go with the flow or resist, becoming temporarily or chronically stuck. Others have no idea that change is needed or even that it is coming!
Discontinuous change is triggering unprecedented transitions for each and every one of us, right now, in our work lives, at home, societally, and culturally. Many of us suffer through these transitions in silence, agonizing in isolation over what’s next.
Awareness, gained through self-assessment, can alleviate our suffering, if not our symptoms. By determining where we are and what we’re facing, we can be better prepared and equipped to weather the storms of change when they touch down.
Undergoing a personal transition, or course correction, is challenging. Not only must you conduct ongoing self-assessments to determine what you want, you must then go out and get it! The growing awareness and need for course corrections have created phenomenal growth in the businesses of coaching and mentoring. Having an objective, experienced guide when traversing the slippery slopes of transition helps many people rappel through their life reinvention with far fewer bumps and bruises.
Self-Assessment—A Quality Life’s Foundation
Anyone committed to his or her future success and fulfillment must conduct regular self-assessments. Human beings are self-correcting systems. We self-correct by knowing what’s going on at any given moment. Self-assessment is like a litmus test indicating whether we are in or out of balance; it checks for causal factors that lie outside our normal range of highs and lows. By removing or correcting these “outliers,” we will consistently increase the quality of our lives and reconnect to what really matters.
Traumatic transitions come as a result of not being aware! When we are buried in the day-to-day minutia, disconnected from the big picture, change seems to come out of nowhere. By taking the time to become aware and tune in, we will hear our SoulSpeakSM and be redirected to our core values. This soul connection will become our personal guidance system, helping us reclaim our purpose, reignite our passions, and move more easily from transition to transformation and finally, transmutation.
After assessing where you are and determining where you want to go, creating a checklist will help you bridge the gap. Continual awareness of the present coupled with clear goals for the future will give you the foresight and wisdom to become a Renaissance Leader. Having designed your own future you will be able to help others chart the courses of their destinies. You can help people prepare for turbulent weather by creating a forecast so they won’t be continually buffeted by the winds of change.
Doing Your Self-Assessment
Conducting your own self-assessment is as simple as taking your temperature. You simply Stop, Look, and Listen—then take a multifaceted reality check of your mind, body, and soul. Several assessment tools are available to aid you in this process. You can self-direct your self-assessment using The Kolbe, DISC, or QLQ Assessments, or you could seek out professional assistance from a Master Change Agent, a Therapist, or a Certified Professional Coach who specializes in Transformation.
Renaissance Leadership for Global Change
We, as individuals, a society, and a planetary system, are entering another evolutionary stage. Our midlife is a time for reevaluating where we are and where we are headed. Most of us are entering a time of turning inward, reconnecting to nature, and living by fundamental values as old as the Ten Commandments. True to Erickson’s critical tasks of adult development, this is a time of life when we must choose between frustration and generativity.
My clients, from Baby Boomer CEOs and self-made entrepreneurs to media executives, artists, and aspiring Generation Xers, all crave the opportunity to Make a Difference. Each of them comes to satiate an excruciating spiritual thirst. All are seeking ways to express their soul-felt visions for the future, integrating adding value with material success. Spaceship Earth’s likelihood of survival depends on all of us harnessing our awesome power and pulling together.
Shifting our behemoth organizations from a “win-lose” to a “we are in this together” mindset will take time, a lot of time. Rather than wishing and waiting for them to move from “emergency to emergence,” we need to build new models and make the personal changes that will usher us into the new paradigm. It appears that those who by-pass the existing system are creating such models. Who is better qualified to lead the way but the movers and shakers who lead our organizations?
In times of renaissance, when the landscape of future history stands vast and open before us, we have a rare opportunity to put our imagination to work reinventing ourselves and our civilization.
~Jean Houston
Making Your Future Work!
For the past 30 years, I have focused on individual and collective transitions and transformations, helping people overcome challenges, make changes, and maximize their quality of life. My virtual institute, FutureWorksInstitute.com, is devoted to “Creating Greater Tomorrows . . . Today.” I would be delighted to partner with you and/or your people to chart your course, expose your mission, inspire your vision, and powerfully launch YOUR future.
You can wait for the future to happen, or you can shape it.
~Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group
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