Page 235 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

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

perspective. During a crisis, those who join groups to help
others gain support themselves. Mothers Against Drunk
Driving (MADD) is indispensable to many who have lost a
loved one in a car accident. By serving others, they become
more resilient. Those who formed similar groups after
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9/11 coped better with the painful transitions of that crisis.
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Leaders can ask those struggling with a transition to help
others through it. By serving others and giving back, those
experiencing difficulty may cope better.

Organizational Resilience

Leaders who build organization systems that reinforce
resilience and increase capacity for change practice three
principles.

Principle 1: Make the Unspeakable Speakable. Anyone in a long-
term relationship has discovered that without candid
conversation the relationship withers. To build a relation-
ship, caring partners need to talk. This is especially true for
things they don’t want to talk about—things that make them
embarrassed, resentful, or doubtful. But only when we make
the unspeakable speakable do real understanding and empa-
thy occur.
In almost every organization “unspeakability” viruses
limit successful change. These unwritten and unspoken
norms dictate activity and prescribe choices without full
awareness or choice. Dave and his colleagues have identi-
fied more than 30 such viruses, including these:

• • Activity mania. Our badge of honor is a full calendar,
even if it excludes thinking and results; we hide behind
our busyness.

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