How to Be a Change Leader

Previously, I talked about how to come up with ideas to improve your operation and implement positive change. “The Best way to manage change successfully is to create it.” Peter Drucker in his book, The Daily Drucker, discusses how to be a Change Leader! “One cannot manage change. One can only be ahead of it. In a period of upheavals, such as the one we are living in, change is the norm. To be sure, it is painful and risky, and above all it requires a great deal of very hard work.”

Unless we see it as our responsibility to lead change, our business cannot survive. Drucker goes on to say that in periods of rapid structural change the survivors are people he refers to as: CHANGE LEADERS. Why is that? He lists several reasons: “A change leader sees change as an opportunity. A change leader looks for change, knows how to find the right changes, and knows how to make them effective both outside the organization and inside it. Is it risky to “make the future”? Absolutely, it is very risky. However, I agree with Peter Drucker when he says: “A goodly proportion of those attempting to change will surely not succeed. But predictably, no one else will.”

In conclusion, give some thought to the following:

1)    Times are changing, whether we like it or not.

2)    What is the expected impact of these changes?

3)    What can you do in your business to better deal with this change?

4)    What other changes do you want to see occur? More specifically:

• What needs to happen in regard to this?
• What steps can you take to get it done?

Spend some time with this process. Your future results will depend upon it!