Page 231 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

HOW DO I RESPOND TO DISPOSABILITY AND CHANGE? (GROWTH, LEARNING, AND RESILIENCE)

• • See patterns and put events in context. When the
Union lost a battle, Lincoln continued to focus on win-
ning the war. He knew the long-term outcome that he
desired and could accept periodic setbacks as long as he
moved forward. Leaders see beyond single events into
longer term patterns.
• • Stop worrying and start living (quoting Dale
Carnegie). To gain resilience in the face of change we
have learned to ask ourselves, “What is the worst thing
that can happen?” Once we identify and stare down the
worst-case scenario, we can better move forward. When
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leaders accept the possibility of the worst and then act to
create the best, they move forward with more resolve.
• • Manage risk. One of the liabilities of transparency is
that leaders’ private actions become fodder for public
discussion. Transparency demands may reduce the
willingness to take risks, and bold actions that cre-
ate innovation may be tabled. Resilience is, almost by
definition, willingness to take risks. Our formula for
risk taking is will to win divided by fear of failure. Will
to win often comes from personal predispositions and
the ambition or drive that an employee might have.
Leaders can ensure a high will to win by selecting and
placing the right people in the right jobs, but they may
take more directive actions to reduce the fear of failure.
Rather than punishing mistakes, leaders need to help
people learn from them. The Tom Watson story at IBM
is one of many examples of leaders who reduce the risks
of failure by focusing on learning rather than blaming.
• • Move on. Sometimes resilience comes through man-
aging the transitions associated with change. William

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