Exemplary leaders are always associated with challenging the status quo. They actively seek to disturb and challenge the status quo, awaken new possibilities, and pursue new opportunities within the team. In a way, leadership and challenging the process are inseparable. Change always opens all kinds of new and exciting possibilities. It is much better to try something than do nothing, plus, it’s way more fun. A leader should always be looking at people, processes, and tools to see if there are opportunities to improve. It’s better to double down on what’s working well and change or stop what isn’t.
Why Challenge The Status Quo?
I tell new leaders to pick a characteristic and become known for it. Challenging the status quo by driving change is the primary characteristic that I strive to be known for. I decided early on in my career that this is what I wanted to be known for. I believed that always focusing on driving change would lead to a tremendous amount of innovation.
By becoming associated with always challenging the status quo, it helps with identifying ongoing continuous improvement opportunities. It has opened opportunities for me and the teams that I have led over the years. We identified processes and tools that were outdated or in a dire need to be tweaked or adjusted and improved.
How Does It Help?
Most people can point out problems, but quite often, they struggle with coming up with solutions. The culture that I strive to create within the teams I lead is that we don’t just point out a problem. We also come with recommendations or possible solutions. By ensuring my team and others take this approach, it gives them development opportunities. The more that systems and tools are challenged, the more that the team’s culture will gravitate towards one of ongoing continuous improvement.
Challenging the status quo is tricky sometimes too. Not everybody likes or feels comfortable with change. Someone recently promoted to leading a team should evaluate how the team is working before looking to introduce lots of change. Too much change, too early on in your tenure with a group, can cause issues where people might be concerned about the team’s overall stability. After an appropriate amount of time, where you have built the right amount of trust, it is more appropriate to start tweaking the team structure, tools, or process to match your vision. The approach that I feel is most successful is the slow build, small wins approach.
Slow Build, Small Wins Approach
Make a straightforward change, followed by a slightly more significant change, and so on. With the slow build approach, the smaller wins you and the team can have, the more the team will believe in you as you make more extensive changes down the road. This also allows you to test the waters with the team. You need to determine what they need from you in terms of implementing changes. It’s the multiplier effect where momentum takes over. Before you know it, everything starts flowing naturally and on its own.
Quick Wins
Creating quick wins helps reduce the uncertainty with the arrival of a new leader. Progress over perfection is the name of the game with this approach. If you keep moving forward with always showing progress, your team will appreciate it.
Challenge the status quo, and everyone will benefit from a tremendous amount of innovative thinking. New tools, processes, and opportunities will always come in your direction. This will help develop everyone’s abilities while raising the collective strength of your team. Put your pedal to the metal and drive change by becoming known as someone who challenges the status quo.
