"Pretend"

Management teams are no longer judged on the appeal of their plans but on the results of their execution. In an era where change is the norm, competitive advantage is temporary, and strategic choices are primarily anti-dilemmas (not “either/or/or,” but “and/and/and”), organizations are seeking the right Strategic Success Factors. The ability to adapt has become a defining factor in this regard.

The ability to change is, of course, also about mission, vision, strategy, state-of-the-art technology, people’s competencies, organizational structure, and so on, but as far as I’m concerned, the essence lies elsewhere. The ability to change lies primarily in removing the obstacles that hinder change. After all, change is something very natural. Everyone wants to develop, grow, and change. No one wants to be changed^(*1). The way we change therefore says a lot—if not everything—about its lasting results.

Anyone who wants to increase an organization’s capacity for change would therefore do well to examine what drives that change and how people deal with the obstacles to (their) change. The first factor concerns belief in a shared purpose, benefits, and meaning. The second concerns a decline in resilience—the ability to bounce back from setbacks.

Looking at that resilience. Nothing goes exactly as planned; a plan is therefore primarily a benchmark for measuring deviations. Resilience—the ability to adapt and persevere in the face of deviations—is an increasingly vital necessity in today’s era of constant change. Three key character traits of a resilient person are: a high degree of acceptance of the present situation, a belief in the meaning of one’s work, and the ability to improvise almost without limit^(*2). We would do well in terms of selection to select people based on these traits. But above all, we must lower our expectations regarding resilience.

The greatest demand on people’s resilience in organizations comes from political games^(*2). The“energy drain” caused by insincerity and pretense is enormous. People sense that something isn’t right—the words don’t match the actions. People just can’t stand that. It undermines the drivers of change—or rather, it requires far more resilience to keep going despite it all. No matter how motivated you are, other people’s ego trips and backstabbing will erode your commitment to collaboration. Eventually, it all comes to an end.

The beginning of change often involves simply thinking through a plan. As mentioned, no management team deserves any praise for that. But more importantly, there is no beginning to change at all. Just as there is no end. Change, after all, is continuous. The outcome and assessment of the “previous” change are set in stone and etched in everyone’s minds. We’re already on our way—we’ve already moved past the beginning.

“Along the way,” that leadership can truly set itself apart. By leading by example: no political games, but operating as a unified whole, transcending silos and departments. Making clear decisions together, bridging differences, being adaptive, and speaking with one voice. Help each other improve through mutual feedback. One team. Leadership is more than just providing direction (or a plan). It’s about leading by example and fully committing to execution. And in doing so, setting an example.

^(*1) Hans Wissema

^(*2) Sarah Bond, Gillian Shapiro