A635.3.3.RB - 50 Reasons Not to Change/The Tribes We Lead

A635.3.3.RB - 50 Reasons Not to Change/The Tribes We Lead

Change is something that presses us out of our comfort zone. Change is inequitable; not a respecter of persons. Change is for the better or for the worst, depending on where you view it. Change has an adjustment period which varies on the individual and organization.

I grew up in an environment where everyone had or used different excuses why they couldn’t or haven’t made the changes necessary to change. There are more than 50 excuses that I’ve encounter or used.

When you’re trying to influence people, who need motivation, but not information, don’t offer more information. That’s nagging. Most people don’t need more reasons to change. So, stop offering them. Instead, use questions to create a safe environment where they can explore motivations they already have. As an example of this look at what President Trump did. Throughout his campaign he never offered new information on what method of change, he only helped those that desired change explores motivations they already had.

With career-related and general change, people who are flexible and adaptable will be better off. Being afraid to change is natural. You're going from the familiar (even if dissatisfying) to the unfamiliar. Many people desire stability and dislike breaks in routine. Your identity and self-esteem might be tied to your surroundings, your security comes from predictable events, and you know what to expect. However, sometimes desire for routine can lead you to miss out on many of the possible satisfactions in life, including an enjoyable and rewarding career. In my view and I know it isn’t as simple as this, but it is what I live and believe. There are two different types of people, optimists and pessimists, respond to failure. Optimists see defeat as a temporary setback. Pessimists give up more easily and get depressed more often.

In high school and in my early adult life I was brought up in the old ways of the black community. “It takes a village to raise a child”. This is same but different philosophy of what Seth Godin meant in his presentation. We're all in tribes though we may not realize it. If you have a "group" of anything, golf, bowling, book club, friends who gather occasionally for a potluck at each other's homes, cocktails at a local pub after work on Friday... People who care about you, to whatever extent and, you care about them; these are all tribes. Every tribe needs a leader. Some leaders rise to the surface because of personality traits. Some tribes struggle or flounder without a leader. Sometimes each one of us needs to take a lead. Take care of your tribes and they'll take care of you.

Seth Godin's straightforward style works perfectly for Tribes. Leading is not a recipe, but rather a production based on individual tastes. Tribes are indeed something mankind has sought out since the earth became populated enough to have them. Today we are more advanced technologically, but at our core we still long for connection. Tribes give us that. And it is up to us whether we want to blindly belong to one, or powerfully engage in one and participate in leading it.

Technology has given the common person certain advantages that were historically available only to the elite. (Godin, 2009) Today, an average person can--with ease--communicate an idea near instantly to the masses. These new, unconventional leaders can now build a "tribe" around a cause or idea. People, Godin (2009), are by their very nature attracted to tribes and rally around a cause in which they believe.

Leadership is not as simple as having followers. It is a complex and multi-faceted thing. It is also organic; that is, a leader determines in a situation or with a certain people to lead in a way that is best for that time, that place, and those people. Great leaders understand that they need to personalize their leadership because a true leader is, after all, about those he is leading. Godin embodies this mindset and explains it well.

References

Brown, D. R. (2011). An Experiential Approach to organization Development. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

Godin, S. (2009, February 01). The tribes we lead. Retrieved from TED Ideas worth spreading: http://www.ted.com/talks/seth_godin_on_the_tribes_we_lead

Watkins, D. (2011, August 24). 50 Reasons Not to Change. Prezi. Prezi.