Innovative Leadership: Embracing Change and Persevering Through Challenges
Effective Leaders Challenge the Status Quo, Take Risks and Lead Their Organizations in Change
Leaders are change agents in the middle of the work, proactively challenging the status quo, taking risks, embracing challenges, providing coaching, and sustaining the energy of team members. The differentiating function of leaders is accepting the responsibility to move people and organizations forward, which results in change and improvement. Effective leaders help create a new perspective by persuading their organizations that there is a need for change. They evaluate processes necessary to enact change and create a culture in the organization to keep that change going.
Leadership is challenging. Leaders must investigate opportunities to innovate, grow, and improve the process of change that includes efficient teamwork and an increasingly effective organization. Have you given time and attention to assessing processes and structures in your role?
Additionally, leaders are more than masters of change; they are masters of uncertainty. They must be able to make decisions under conditions of uncertainty and guide the often-frenetic motion of change toward one end. When things are falling apart, leaders must show team members the hidden potential from the pieces.
Leaders embrace change and discourage stagnation. They do what it takes to facilitate the next step, however unpopular or uncomfortable it may be.
Effective Leaders Possess Determination, Enthusiasm, Energy, and Perseverance
A strong leader has significant drive, energy, and determination, making decisions, getting things done, and acting with energy. Not content with momentary surges, effective leaders have a hardy and persevering energy—the ability to endure—that is critical for leadership. Leaders’ longevity is directly tied to the depth to which they embrace the mission of the organization. Endurance, hardiness, vigor, and resolve display the long-term evidence of internal drive and motivation.
Leaders need focus, the ability to stay centered on critical, important issues, as well as an exuberant, positive attitude. Without energy and endurance, a leader cannot focus, cannot encourage others, and cannot create the vision of an organization that stays in front of the curve. How does a person focus and endure? Energy and enthusiasm within the leader come from a conviction that births action and encourages action in others. How would you rate that burning in yourself lately and your focus?
Furthermore, we must attend to all aspects of our lives to be most effective. Endurance also stems from a satisfying personal life, a life based on relationships with family and friends that balance the whole body, soul, and spirit. Any of us can easily focus on one element of life and neglect other important areas. Work is important. Professional growth is also important. But focusing on those without caring for the other arenas of life will prove distracting and even devastating. Therefore, practice self-care and relationship-care, seeking a healthy work-life balance. If you want to finish the race, you must set the right pace.