“ Learning to disrupt yourself involves a rejection of the status quo you ’ re comfortably nestled in .”
and moral ineptitude in letting you go ). Brace yourself , as it can be a coldhearted world out there . But don ’ t take it personally . Or , even better , prevent placing yourself in such an aggravating situation by — you guessed it — disrupting yourself first .
I know countless colleagues who I think stayed in their roles too long . Fortunately , they didn ’ t all end up in an awkward termination meeting , but they certainly stayed below the level of their peak contribution as they embraced the safety of the status quo over self-disruption — even when the role required incrementally more from them each year . Such lack of self-disruption can become a prescription for stagnation in skill development and shrinking relevance . And despite that perception of safety , many were caught up in a downsizing as the organization went through a business transformation and their skills were less vital for the new go-to-market strategy . Did they do anything outwardly wrong ? Not really . Their contributions were on par with previous years , as was their work ethic , but their skills didn ’ t outpace the company ’ s need for reinvention .
The lesson here is clear : you have to stay ahead of your colleagues , the marketplace , and your employer ’ s need for reinvention and self- disruption . Yep , the most successful companies also self-disrupt as frequently as is necessary to grow and dominate .
Keep in mind the adage “ Change or die .”
Or , if you ’ d like , replace “ die ” with “ get fired ,” but this is a mantra that will serve you well . For companies to grow and dominate their markets , they must constantly reinvent their brands , products , services , margins , and sales strategies . They ’ re often forced to redefine who they see as their competition and their customer . They must exercise organizational humility to ensure their products and services are meeting emerging needs and never rest on their legacy .
“ Learning to disrupt yourself involves a rejection of the status quo you ’ re comfortably nestled in .”
To that point , you must constantly selfdisrupt to be a “ must-retain ” associate , or be prepared when you ’ re not seen as such to not take it personally . Self-disruption isn ’ t only about quitting your current job to move forward . In fact , I ’ m not advocating that at all . Instead , learning to disrupt yourself involves a rejection of the status quo you ’ re comfortably nestled in . This can include mindsets , relationships , skills , knowledge , patterns , emotions , surroundings , and routines . Let ’ s take a closer look at each .
Self-Disrupt Your Mindsets Learning to change your mind is a professional and personal competency that means you ’ re open to being influenced . Maybe not on every topic , as you ’ re likely not changing your religion or political affiliation — or maybe you are . But ask
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