Leaders

Leaders are people who take responsibility for their own actions. They see a gap between what is, either in the form of a problem or an opportunity, and they do something about it.

I think that often true leaders in business, or in any sphere of life for that matter, are not even aware that they are doing anything out of the ordinary. From their perspective, they are simply doing what needs to be done.

Leaders are people who, being constantly dissatisfied with the status quo, strive for never-ending improvement in every aspect of their lives. They take a critical view of their own behavior and performance and are not seduced by the kudos that come their way.

Nor are they disheartened, for too long, by their own failings and failures or lack of external recognition. Being human means we are always falling short of our ideals, but leaders have the capacity to keep a positive focus and learn from every negative experience as they pursue their goals.

They are able to grow and expand personally as long as they remain true to their own values and ethical principles.

Another interesting thing that I have observed is that true leaders do not give themselves that title. It is bestowed on them by others who are influenced by them.

Leadership development occurs as a result of our taking responsibility for our own actions and choosing to do the thing that we see needs doing.

Transition Management

In his insightful book Transitions, William Bridges tells us that the crucial role we must play in any change management process is to manage ourselves and the people around us through the change.

When we are reinventing ourselves and/or our business, managing these transitions is critical for our success.

When we are moving through the change, whatever the scale, he reminds us that we need to prepare people and support them through three major phases.

Each phase has within it a level of risk, as well as opportunity that must be closely monitored.

Phase One involves helping people say goodbye to the old identity. We do this by acknowledging the feelings of loss that everyone in our business experiences, as we move from the old identity toward the envisioned one.

Phase Two requires us to support people through what he calls the 'neutral zone'. This is the vulnerable time when we are traversing the 'in between time'. This is the time when the new identity has not yet been properly formed. During this time in our business, it is important to reinforce the vision we hold out for the new. During this phase, we have the opportunity to introduce many of the other changes we would like our business to have, as well as address any threats to our business.

Phase Three is when we have arrived at the change that was envisaged.

When we handle transitions in our business well, we create the kind of business culture and mindset that thrives on the new. At the same time, we build lasting value, by recognizing the contributions others have made in getting us to where we are today. As a business, we are more likely to develop high trust business environments when we do this process well.

I encourage you to buy his book. It is a must read if you are involved in any sort of change process, either at the personal level or in your business.

You can visit William Bridges at www.wmbridges.com