What we all need to hear in seasons of change
Change is a hot topic right now.
So many organizations are going through transformations, and they are asking the people in those organizations to step up and be strong in moments that often feel uncertain, exhausting, and daunting.
Maybe you’re one of those people.
In the last two weeks alone, I've given two keynote speeches about embracing change and having the courage to evolve, and I’ve worked with teams to strengthen their resilience and meet this important moment.
All of this has got me thinking about how hard change can be. It takes so much courage, not just to face change, but to drive it. Embody it. Be a part of it. Create it.
And you know what I need when things get hard? A good ol’ pep talk!
So that’s what I’m here to give you, my friends. My hope is that if you're going through change right now, you will read this post and feel a new energy and level of excitement about leveraging this moment for all it can be. I hope it inspires you to take yourself on and rise to the occasion instead of allowing change to drive you.
Without further ado . . . this one’s for you.
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I see you.
You're sitting in this really difficult moment where everything feels messy and hard and bigger than you.
I want you to know that you have an important choice to make:
You can either embrace this moment, take yourself on, take risks, try new things, be brave, fail, and see how far you can grow.
Or . . .
You can stay right where you are. Not do a thing. Resist. Go with the motions. Stay where it feels comfortable and certain.
But let me ask you: Is it really comfortable to stay where you are? Is it really certain?
Even when you do the same things you’ve always done, it doesn’t mean you’re doing them with certainty. After all, nothing is ever fully in your control. You can’t say for sure that things will continue to go exactly the way they’ve always gone and that the same approach will always work.
And is it actually comfortable to resist something that is happening all around you? Doesn’t that still take energy? Isn’t it hard to swim against a current that’s only becoming more powerful?
There’s something else I want you to consider: Do you want to be a bystander to change? To watch it unfold around you? To drift where it takes you? To not have any agency or empowerment in it at all? To simply maintain the status quo?
I know it seems like the bystander route is the easiest and simplest path to take. But here’s the thing: Both paths are difficult. Both are uncomfortable. Both are challenging.
With option #1, though, there’s the potential to arrive at something better. There’s a chance you’ll grow and learn. There’s a chance you’ll see what you’re actually capable of—and I bet it’s more than you’ve ever imagined.
I get it: Easier said than done. Embracing change can bring up a lot of feelings—especially fear.
You might be asking yourself, “What if I go for it and I fail? What if things get even messier? What if I don't have what it takes to get to the next level? What if things start to feel really out of control?”
Let’s think back for a second, though. Think about the biggest moments of evolution and change in your life so far, both at work and outside of it.
You got through all of them, right? You’re still here. And I bet, if you really think about it, not only did you get through those moments, but those moments also made you who you are. Were they challenging? Yes. But were they also gifts? Yes.
Sit with that for a moment: You have survived 100% of the challenges you’ve faced in your life. 100%! Those are impeccable odds. Why would they change now?
The thing about fear is that it wants to keep us stuck. Whether it’s fear of failure (what if this doesn’t go the way we want it to?), fear of success (what if this works and things take off?), or even impostor syndrome (what if I don’t have what it takes and everyone can tell?) . . . fear has one motive: to stop us in our tracks. To prevent us from moving forward.
But here’s what most people don’t know about fear: It can be your compass. Steven Pressfield says it best: When we fear something, it means we care about it. If we didn’t care, we wouldn’t feel fear. We’d feel indifferent. Neutral.
So, if that’s the case, fear is an essential part of the equation. It shows us where, deep down, we want to go. Fear gives us courage; that’s its greatest gift. Without fear, there would be no need to be brave.
Instead of resisting fear in this moment, what if you danced with it? What if you tried to figure out what it’s telling you? What might be possible then?
While we’re on this topic, let’s talk about how we often allow our minds to go to the worst-case scenario. I get it: Negativity is deeply human. If you want to go there, that’s okay; it’s healthy in small doses. But if you’re going to do that, promise me you’ll also consider the flip side. What could go right? What is the best-case scenario?
If we don’t muster up the courage to face our fear, we will likely live with regret. We’ll get to the end of our lives and wonder, “What if?” and, “What could have happened?” If we make the choice to go for it, sure, we might fail. But at least we’ll know. At least we won’t spend our lives wondering what could have happened if only we had found the courage to try.
I think you have a massive opportunity in front of you. Times of change are the best times to take ourselves on and grow. Change forces us to take risks, to stretch ourselves, to learn new skills, to tap into old ones, to collaborate, and to strengthen relationships with those around us.
When was the last time you really took yourself on? When was the last time you really chased growth? What if you could leverage this moment for you? Be a little selfish about it; that’s okay. Use it to advance your own growth. If everyone did that, imagine how far you could go together.
And let’s not forget the together part. You have a team. You have people around you. And you get to do this with them. They get to do this with you. Change brings people together. It prompts us to learn from each other. To be open to different perspectives. To challenge each other. To go farther than any one person could ever go alone. To go through ups and downs and make it through together so that you can look back one day and say, “WE did that!”
So, here you are.
You have an important choice to make.
What do you want?
Do you want to take the comfortable path or the one that demands your courage?
Do you want to watch the future unfold or actually design and shape it?
Do you want to wait for growth to find you or chase it and discover what you are truly made of?
Do you want to do it alone or invite people to walk alongside you?
The choice is yours to make, but I sure hope you’ll choose to go for it.
Because there’s one thing I know without any ounce of doubt: YOU’VE GOT THIS!
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Friends, if this pep talk resonated with you, I hope you’ll share it, print it out, or even read it at your next team meeting. And then, I hope you’ll tell me all about it! Hit “reply.” My team and I love hearing from you.
Cheers to facing big changes with big courage!
Big hugs,
