Why Change is a Leader’s Career Builder — How to Develop Your Change Mindset

To a large degree, change is what makes leaders essential for organizational success. Studies show an unmistakable trend of downsizing middle managers in organizations that are structured around routine work with little adjustment or disruption involved. This is further strengthened by increasing employee empowerment and replacing authority-based leaders with employees who can streamline and optimize their own efficiency with minimal direction. However, more than ever there is a demand (and shortage) of leaders who can influence and facilitate change in organizations that must respond to continuing disruptions generated by a host of factors including changing market demands, emerging technology, and shifting workplace demographics.

If you are fortunate to find yourself in an organization that requires leaders capable of facilitating change, it’s critical that you have a change mindset even before you have the complete tool set.

How to Start Building Your Change Mindset

Here are the five change mindset requirements.

1. Collaborative Approach: Recognize that successful change requires collective effort. Considering all of the stakeholders that are participating and or impacted by the change. Thinking ahead of time how they can be encouraged for support through seeking input and how decision-making will be handled. This mindset will help create a sense of ownership among stakeholders and increases the likelihood of successful implementation.

2. Clarity of Purpose: Fully understand the purpose of the change. Readiness to facilitate the desired outcome includes understanding the benefits and advantages to key stakeholders whose support is critical. Take into consideration the specific potential challenges that must be addressed for success. Look beyond the current state and envision what might come next. This mindset will help communicate a compelling and attainable vision that contributes to a shared sense of purpose that motivates and guides everyone toward the desired change.

3. Demonstration of Empathy: Understanding the emotions and concerns of others during times of change is crucial. A common emotional concern you must be ready to deal with is fear of the unknown as represented the change. Resistance to change is often based on missing or incorrect information available to critical stakeholders. Think about how you can acknowledge the legitimacy of fear and reduce it by providing transparency, honest information, and emotional support.

4. Adaptability and Flexibility: Change often brings a leader uncertainty and unexpected challenges regarding current practices, relationships, and routines. Being willing to adapt and adjust strategies and tactics based on evolving circumstances is very often necessary. This mindset going into the change process prevents becoming rigid and allows an ability to find creative solutions to obstacles that arise.

5. Persistence and Resilience: Change can be met with resistance and skepticism, and leaders must have the courage to challenge the status quo and persevere in the face of setbacks. A resilient mindset enables remaining determined and optimistic, even when the path forward is difficult. Your resilience sets an example for others to follow and demonstrates that challenges are opportunities for growth.

While leading change is a demanding process that requires several critical leadership capabilities being one of them. It is for that reason the demand for leaders is here to stay. As a leader, you are uniquely positioned to add incredible value that you can count on for a long and successful career.

Please let me know if you have any questions about leadership and change. A subscription to my newsletter provided comprehensive coverage of this and other topics intended to take your career to the next level. Subscribe now for more on my newsletter, “The hidden side of Leadership!”

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