Leadership is always the most critical skill for an organization. Change management as a leadership skill either. Usually, we show resistance to any change we face during our lives independently if it is personal or work-related. Our main tendency is to stay in our comfort zones. But what happens if your comfort zone is no longer available.
We experienced this during the global Corona virus crisis. All of a sudden, we don’t have our comfort zones anymore and we found ourselves in our learning zones. In such situations, the change is more easily accepted. Because we can’t procrastinate. We have to face the situation and we need to adapt to the new realities. As long as we have an option to procrastinate, we are hardwired to do it. We prefer to keep our privileges and keeping our securities. When we can’t, we learn. We lose all our guards to change and confront.
We see it both personally and in business. Just imagine how quickly companies shifted to home-office working and video conferencing. It would take decades to experience such a level of mass disruption in our working styles. We would never choose a video call instead of a face to face meeting. It is just because of resistance to change. Now we know it is also possible. We know that there are alternative channels to sustain a business. How long would it take to convince the top management of your company for remote working? How long it took? Indeed, just a couple of weeks. When we see there is no option, we accept.
Like in nature, we need to adapt to survive. As leaders, now it is time to show your real leadership skills if you have. In this case, we must act very quickly. We need to take necessary actions, even short term, and definitely, we should be flexible. I think nothing will be the same after the normalization. Now we know, we can change, now we know what we do is not the only way to do.
Sencer Deren / April 6, 2020