Leading in Times of Change
Shift happens. Change is inevitable, but growth is not.
Nobody is immune to frustration when reacting to change — it's human nature. However, success is in the response, not the reaction.
Why is this so important? "It is not the strongest who survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one most responsive to change." — Charles Darwin.
When leading change, it's common to jump right into action. However, that may increase resistance.
As a leader in the Mortgage industry, I know a thing or two about change. And as a leader of change throughout my career (and life), I have moved mountains by knowing where to start and following this framework.
It starts with Acceptance.
Within yourself and others.
Until you accept change, how can you lead others to accept change? Until your team accepts change, how can they execute at a high level? Just because it is their "job to change" doesn't mean they will without resistance, simply because you told them to — ever faced that situation?
Start here to gain acceptance before executing the plan:
- 1 Why: What's behind the change and why is it important to us?
- 2 Validate: Everyone is human and reactionary, so validate that this may be difficult and frustrating.
- 3 Shared Fate: Everyone has a stake in the total success of the team. Every action equals reaction. Show how the individual parts add up and affect others.
Start here to help yourself and others process what's changing, why it matters, and how we all have shared fate in each other's success.
Want to go deeper? Check out my recent episode of the Talking Shift podcast.
Are you facing change within your business or company? Let's grab a huddle together, just click my calendar link below.
Make Shift Happen
The Build Your Niche Takeaway
The same principle that leading through change teaches is the reason to Build Your Niche. When you know your niche, your purpose, and your ideal customer, you get remembered and referred. Change is inevitable, but growth is not, and the leaders who respond instead of react are the ones who built their strategy before the storm. Leaders Respond, They Don't React and Shift Happens. Ok, Now What? are the playbooks. Book your 90-Minute Private Coaching session below and build your niche so change becomes your advantage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Build Your Niche
The 90-Minute Private Coaching session ($995) walks you through the 3-part Build Your Niche framework: your niche, your customer, and your purpose. In one session we build the clarity that lets you lead change instead of reacting to it. Book your session through the Build Your Niche button below.
Why does acceptance come before action in change?
Until you accept change, you cannot lead others to accept it, and until your team accepts it, they cannot execute at a high level. Resistance does not disappear just because change is someone's job. Start with why, validate the difficulty, and show shared fate.
What is shared fate?
Everyone has a stake in the total success of the team, and every action equals a reaction. When people see how their individual parts add up and affect others, they stop resisting and start rowing. It is the foundation of team alignment.
How do I help leaders motivate their teams?
Leaders motivate their teams when they know their own niche and purpose, because people connect with people, not product. I help leaders break the echo chamber for themselves and their team so everyone leads from clarity instead of noise. It starts with Build Your Niche.
How can I overcome a career plateau?
Question the effort assumption first, because a plateau usually is not about effort. It is about positioning. You can outwork a plateau and stay flattened, or name the ONE customer and problem you want to be famous for and let the position pull you out. That is the front door of Build Your Niche, and Who Are Your Ideal Clients? walks through the framework.
Why am I not moving up?
Moving up changes when you stop competing on volume and start being remembered for one specific thing. Specialists earn more than generalists, and the same is true for promotions. If you have done everything right and nothing moved, the missing piece is usually a clear position, not a longer list of hours.
This is part of the Build Your Niche framework: Build Your Niche.
Craig Davis is a Leadership Performance Coach and the creator of the Build Your Niche framework, helping leaders break their echo chamber, for themselves, their team, and their business.
Craig is an amazing coach. He has worked directly with us as well as worked with our team and we cannot speak highly enough of him, and the impact he has had on our team.
THE MORTGAGE DR