New leaders come into an organization and want to make an impact, which means change.
Organizational changes, project changes, acquisitions, divestitures and business changes to stay competitive are a few of the types of changes that a leader in a corporate environment will encounter each day.
All of these changes can be a challenge to navigate. They can create more work and be overwhelming until decisions are made on priorities. This is the time when a leader has a choice to make. They can resist the change or move forward towards acceptance. Change is a constant and it is going to happen one way or another, is it just a matter of time.
If you are resisting a change, know that the resistance you feel comes from fear and it prevents acceptance.
The lack of direction and chaos that change brings creates a lot of open questions. What will the change mean for you and your team? How will things be different? What other changes are going to come next? The fear of the unknown will hold you back from showing up as the leader that you want to be if you let it. The stress and anxiety can make you play small and wish everything would go back to the way it was before. That isn’t possible and you can’t avoid it.
Think about the changes that you have been through in the past. Did you resist the change or accept it? Did you play small or play bigger? These situations present opportunities for the leader to step up and talk about the change in a positive way. Help the team see the opportunities that can come from change so they can move forward. This is the time that you can demonstrate how you can visibly manage change and be the leader that helps others to do the same.