This past Saturday we had very strong winds in Delaware. Riding in the car with my husband, who is a retired pilot, we got to talking about winds, airplanes, piloting, and change. Here are some of our reflections.
Strong winds require high alert
When there are strong winds, a pilot needs to constantly check course, speed, possible obstacles, and loose objects.
Leaders in a fast changing environment can't conduct “business as usual.” They need to be on the lookout for possible danger. Many leaders are not scanning the horizon specifically enough to predict how market conditions will evolve. Or they are not making decisions fast enough to implement solutions, thus putting their organizations at risk. In this uncertain times, you need to be alert and "on your toes."
The higher you are, the stronger the winds
If you are low, and close to the ground, you hardly feel the winds. The higher you fly, the more you feel the turbulence. The higher your responsibility as a leader, the more you will feel the turbulence that change may bring. You will be required to do more in order to safely navigate change.
It’s easier to “go with the flow”
It’s much easier to ride with the wind than against it. A good tail wind makes for a fast easy ride. But pilots know they have to be careful not to be so comfortable riding with the wind, that it blows them off-course. They still need to follow their flight plan.
Rather than fighting the winds of change, it’s easier to just flow with them. Let the winds do the work. The gusts are coming anyway. Why not use them to your advantage? Change is natural. Standing still in life is not.
Use the winds of change to propel you to become who you want to be. Just make sure you are alert and have a plan for transformation. It may be scary and difficult, but it can’t be as frightening as going off-course, getting lost, and crashing.
When caught in cross-winds, be willing to adjust
When you are in an airplane and hear a warning about a “bumpy ride” it’s because there are cross currents. All of a sudden what was working great does not work anymore. If you keep doing more of the same, you’ll crash. You have to be willing to adjust power input, altitude, and the way you handle the controls. The closer you are to your destination, the more dangerous it could be.
Leaders need to be willing to adjust in mid-flight even the best of plans. One of the reasons many change efforts fail is because leaders forget the need for adjustments. You can have a great plan, and a perfect take off. But when the difficulties and cross-currents of human emotions and conflicts arise, you need to be capable of making the right adjustments, of warning your people about the bumpy ride ahead, and of safely leading them through the turbulence.
To find rest, you have to go against the wind
Pilots know to look for the wind-sock and land against the wind. Going against the wind will make you lose speed, but it also helps for a safe landing. You can't keep flying indefinitely: gas will run out, people will get tired, and the risks for mistakes will increase.
In any change effort, there needs to be points of rest and re-fueling, even if it means to go against what seems “logical.” If you have those points of rest to re-group, you will be able to conquer even greater heights, and to successfully implementing the needed changes.
Remember that the way you approach and ride the winds of change will affect your success. Are you afraid of the winds of change? Maybe. But it’s so much easier to embrace it, than to ignore their existence. Adjusting to changes requires a shift in your mindset, and in the way you do things. Once you do these, you are in for an exhilarating ride! Happy landings!
What do you think?
How do you ride the winds of change? What makes it easier to make adjustments? Share your comments with us.Photo: bazylek100