I’m guessing you’re tired of hearing that we live in exponential times and that change is occurring at Internet speeds. And now we are warned that Artificial Intelligence will accelerate that change even more. Most of us now accept that all those statements and warnings are factual. Given that, then leaders must be evangelists for courage.
Hi, I’m Dave Kinnear, Board Certified Coach, Certified Veteran Development Coach, and the Leadership Insight Podcast host. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to listen to this episode.
What do I mean when I suggest that a leader must be an “Evangelist for Courage”? Many people prefer to stay in their comfort zone, doing things the way they have always done them. They don’t like being changed. If they initiate a change, they are fine and will endure the discomfort. However, when they are required to change by outside forces, they will resist making the necessary changes.
In today’s environment, change is constant and ruthless. Organizations will die if they do not adapt to the ever-changing market. This means our people must be constantly changing as well. Therefore, leaders must be an evangelist for courage—they must inspire employees to embrace their discomfort and change with the times.
My clients are implementing new software tools, changing business processes, updating employee skills, changing products and services, moving to renting rather than owning some equipment, and entering new markets. It takes courage to re-direct the leadership team and employees. It takes courage to recognize that my team must sacrifice to ensure the company is more efficient and moving in the right direction. It takes courage to risk moving into new markets or to develop new products.
Our employees need leaders to be decisive during rapid change and economic uncertainty. Leaders must believe in their people more than the people believe in themselves and push them to be courageous. Everyone in the organization must be curious about what the market wants now, why we do things the way we do them, and what new tools might help us become more efficient and effective.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to listen to this podcast. I’m Dave Kinnear, Executive Leader Coach, and I look forward to seeing you on the next podcast.