Today’s leaders manoeuvre in an entirely different landscape to their counterparts of years gone by. Accepting that jobs are no longer ‘for life,’ scores of entrepreneurs join the game to take control of their own destinies while advances in technology become threats when not embraced.
With the speed of change growing exponentially, now, more than ever, must leaders understand the danger of the status quo and what it means to challenge the status quo.
We’re naturally drawn towards the status quo, of course – it served us well and is the reason we’re still standing. So where’s the problem? The status quo is yesterday’s business and while you work to maintain the good days, someone else is working just as hard to ‘one-up’ you. Businesses need look forward and make a habit of constantly challenging the way things are done.
Maintaining relevance in the market is one benefit of challenging the status quo, but it carries with it one other, a crucial benefit often forgotten or at least not taken seriously. As much as your products or services exist in a competitive market, so do your employees. Remember – a job isn’t ‘for life’ and that works two ways. Employees who find themselves restrained in a stagnating environment will move on – because they can.
So how can business leaders weave this challenging mindset into the fabric of their business in a way that serves two purposes: staying ahead of the game and retaining the best talent to stay ahead?
The buck stops with the leader but they can’t think of everything. Leaders should work hard to facilitate a culture where forward thinkers can challenge the way things are done and bring their ideas to the fore. Employees are a business’ best asset – they are the eyes and ears and they are there to be used.
By advocating this culture, the result will be two-fold: employees will feel like a valued, active and engaged participant which in turn will nurture a progressive workforce behind a progressive business.
No business wants to be the next ‘Kodak moment.’
