“If you dislike change, you’re going to dislike irrelevance even more.” – Gen. Eric Shinseki
Human beings are wired to seek safety. I think that probably goes all the way back to our days living in caves. People in those days were facing death on an almost constant basis, so if they were safe in their cave, with fire and something to eat, then why leave? Find safety and stay there.
We still act that way. In my part of the world, we’re fortunate not to face death quite as often, but we still face fear. We’re afraid of failure, or embarrassment, or any number of other things. So, we try and find someplace that’s safe from those things and then stay in that place.
The problem is that, for leaders, hiding in a cave means getting left behind. Lately I’ve been watching too many leaders who act as though their vision is for the organization they lead to act like it’s still 2006. Avoid as much technology as possible, even if it makes things more efficient. Avoid new and uncomfortable ways of doing things, even if they’re effective. Avoid dealing with people the way they truly are in 2026, not how we perceive they were twenty years ago.
Leaders can’t do that. It might feel safe to ignore the realities of today’s world, but it’s actually incredibly dangerous. Our organizations must change to be successful in the world we’re living in. And they must change quickly.
I’m not suggesting that every single change is for the better, or that we need to change simply for the sake of change. I am suggesting that ignoring opportunities because they might push us out of our comfort zones is a recipe for disaster. I am suggesting that refusing to try new methods because we’re not familiar with them will almost certainly result in failure.
Even things that have been great can – and will – eventually become obsolete. We cannot be so enthralled with how we’ve been successful in the past that we refuse to acknowledge the realities of the world we’re in now.
Don’t find a cave to hide in. Go outside and get to work making your new world.
