Successful Startup 101: September 2014 Successful Startup 101: September 2014 | Page 47

2. ADVERSITY The #1 roadblock to change is not addressing the areas of conflict or adversity that are critical to success. I’ve found that teams have extreme difficulty separating issues from individuals and stepping into the areas they fear may offend others. This is especially true the higher you go in an organization where adversity-laced conflict is talked about in the hall or at the bar, instead of as a team that must change to truly address the challenge. Research shows that adversity is one of the most critical ingredients for personal and team growth. As adversity and conflict go away, people stop growing and begin a slow decline in capability. The goal is to hug adversity and embrace conflict to promote true change leadership. 3. DISCOMFORT You can’t lead if you are comfortable. Humility, vulnerability, and discomfort are the traits of change leadership. So how do we get comfortable with discomfort and realize that feeling like a dumbass can be the example of leading change? The secret is to create a new mindset that helps people feel and know they should not flee the discomfort, but see it as a sign of genuine leadership. Hug the indignity. Celebrate the clumsy. And remember the mindset that change is beginning again. All three bandits – the “Other Guy,” “Adversity,” and “Discomfort” – must all be addressed in order to build and create a business for the future that is compelling and worth the risk. About the Author Jim Haudan is a different kind of CEO, with a passion that goes beyond leading Root to success. For more than 20 years, he has been helping organizations unleash hidden potential by fully engaging their people to deliver on the strategies of the business. With his background as a coach, it’s not a stretch that the company Jim co-founded focuses on tapping employees’ discretionary efforts – the kind that produces winning results. Jim is a frequent speaker on leadership alignment, strategy execution, employee engagement, business transformation, change management, and accelerated learning. He has spoken at TEDx BGSU, the Conference Board events, and numerous client meetings. He also contributes regularly to business publications and blogs. He lives in Sylvania with his wife, Michelle. They have three children, Brad, Brooke, and Blake. When he’s not traveling the globe visiting clients, he enjoys relaxing with his family at their lake cottage, golfing, fishing, photography, and attending Jimmy Buffett concerts.