In the eyes of the marketplace, we are all either has-been’s, wanna-be’s, or heroes.
If you have read Results Rule!, or attended any of my presentations over the past 6 years, you have heard me say those words.
The difference today is that you can go from being a hero to a has-been virtually overnight. Success today requires everyone to constantly evolve in pursuit of staying relevant to changing customer expectations.
You can blame technology or globalization or anything else you want. It doesn’t really change the fact that the status quo is the kiss of death for every person, every organization, and every marketplace.
And that is where constant change becomes the new stability.
The wanna-be’s will read that statement as permission to take on change for the sake of change. But, that is what the wanna-be’s have always done. The follow the next BSO – Bright Shiny Object – in pursuit of what they hope to be the magic bullet that shoots them to the top.
So let’s be clear. The heroes know that there is a caveat to my statement: Constant change is the new stability if it is in pursuit of advancing your vision, serving your customers, and increasing your ability to live your values.
Their focused and intentional effort to change in pursuit of their vision, living their values, and serving their customers separates the heroes from everyone else.
Why Change =’s Stability
We tend to associate the word stability with no change, but in this environment stability means maintaining your balance or equilibrium. And in that vein, instability would be allowing circumstances outside of your control to dictate your actions.
It may feel counter intuitive, but the best way to maintain your balance and equilibrium is to take control of your own change. Doing nothing not only dooms you to eventual irrelevance, but it also places you in the position of having your decisions and actions driven by others.
For organizations, the best stability you have is changing before you have to in order to stay center of heart and top of mind with your customers. For individuals, the best stability is to continually add to your portfolio of knowledge and skills to be indispensable.
Maintaining the separation between the leading edge and the bleeding edge of change requires constant attention. But, the extra effort to is worth the effort. In the end, it is better to be a little ahead than a little behind.
Remember, we’re talking about constant change in pursuit of your vision, serving your customers, and living your values. Those are not places where you want to be late.
The First Thing You Must Do
This will sound so cliché that I cringe a little when writing it: You must learn to love – or at least embrace – constant learning, growing and adapting.
It sounds like every motivational speech you have ever heard, right? But, the reality is that you will only pay lip service to the need for constant change and your efforts will be haphazard, at best, if you don’t really want to or see the value in doing so.
On the other hand, the steps and techniques of continuous change are much easier to master when you have fully embraced the idea that past success proves you were right once and constant change in pursuit of achieving your vision, living your values, and serving your customers is the best control and stability you can achieve.
Here is a link to a short commentary about how constant change is the new stability.
We are entering a time of tremendous risk and reward. The legendary leaders and organizations of the next 20 years are being forged today in the crucible of a tumultuous environment. The best stability you have is constant change in pursuit of vision, living your values, and serving your customers.
