Resilient Leadership When Change is Hard
Guest Post By Courtney Clark Courtney Clark is a speaker, survivor and optimist who works with people to build resilience so they can adapt faster and achieve more. She is author of two books “The Giving Prescription” and "The Successful Struggle.”There is an increasing call for the social sector to respond quickly to ever-growing community needs and prove its continued relevance using data. But such growth can’t come without change, and change can be a word that strikes fear in the hearts of nonprofit leaders.
During times of transformation, every single member of a nonprofit staff needs to be resilient. Nonprofit leaders must develop change-resilience in employees and in themselves, and they must do so quickly. In my book, The Successful Struggle, I uncover several ways to come to grips with change in the fastest way possible.
Why is change so hard for nonprofit leaders?
Because all change is hard, and big change is really hard. Guess which kind of change most nonprofits are working toward?
Nonprofits exist to have big visions of a better future, so naturally the kind of change on their radar is considerable. Research shows that one of the main causes of discomfort during a time of growth is a loss of personal power. We might have been feeling successful at our old job functions, but inept at our new ones. Leaders can help alleviate this problem by highlighting their employees’ “wins” as much as possible. Staff can also regain their personal power by becoming autonomous on new tasks as soon as possible.
Because people get involved in nonprofit work to feel good, but change doesn’t feel good.
Change is the opposite of feeling good – it’s uncomfortable, frustrating, and can make us feel helpless. To fight that feeling, the best technique is to stay engaged. Studies on organizations going through change suggest that the most successful change happens when employees participate in pieces of the change, so give your team a way to stay engaged, or even increase their engagement. Allow them to participate on strategic planning teams or ad hoc committees to help lay out pieces of the plan, and they will stay engaged despite the change.
Because people get involved in nonprofit work to be connected, but change is DIS-connecting.
By its very nature, change disconnects us from our past routines, expectations, and environment. Humans are creatures longing to connect to something, so during the disconnection of change, the best leaders give their people something to connect to, instead. Help your staff connect to the purpose behind the change. Will it bring new opportunities for growth? Will it reach a new community in need? Be sure to communicate the purpose of the change, not just the logistics of it, and your staff will have something to connect to.
When facing change, help your team regain their personal power, stay engaged, and connect to the purpose of the change. In doing so, you’ll build their change-resilience and achieve at higher levels despite the discomfort of change.
Resilience in the face of change is a tool that all leaders need when things are transforming. As leaders in the social sector, you need resilience more often than most. I look forward to sharing more with you about becoming resilient leaders of social change at the Mission Capital Conference in September.
Don’t miss Courtney's keynote on Friday, 9/9 at the Mission Capital Conference! Becoming a Resilient Leader of Social Change
Managing change and conflict is all part of the job of being a social sector leader. Author and resilience expert Courtney Clark will inspire and equip you with proven, research-based strategies for cultivating resilience in your life and in your work. To transform the world, you must first transform yourself. Get a new perspective on leadership, personal and professional growth, and how to handle unforeseen challenges that come your way.