Reprogramming of Leaders

Advances in technology have led to changes in the way we do things. In earlier days, processes were done manually. Operation manuals were created to guide new joiners and current employees on how to get things done. When automation arrived, various tasks were automated and the folks who used to do those jobs had to learn new things to stay employed. Some folks moved on to learn how to do automation and were able to those jobs.

With change, leaders face challenges on how to lead their people. As such, they need to be re-programmed, adapt to situations, and come up with new approaches to lead their organization. They are challenged to work outside their comfort zone. Sometimes they need to unlearn what they learned in the past to adapt and figure out their journey to where they need to be.

Their ability to adapt ultimately determines how successful their organization will be. In certain situations, it also decides the destiny of their organization.

Reprogramming is not an easy thing. It requires the leader to identify which skills are obsolete and out of date and commit to unlearning them. Once the leader identifies it, he/she needs to identify new things to learn. This phase is not easy because it creates a lot of anxiety and concerns about their futures. There are leaders who are not capable of leading in transition. Therefore, all rises or falls on leadership. The quicker the leader adjusts to change the better they will lead their organization to where they need to be.
I personally had to go through this situation and re-program myself.

Here is what I did to adapt:

• Understand the rationale of change – seek to understand and learn what it is all about

• Decide to buy-in or move on – once you know the rationale for change, you need to decide if you’re for the change or you have to move on

• Reprogram – unlearn old things to open new opportunities to learn new things. As difficult as it is, it is an essential process in order to head in the right direction

• Be aware at all times – be aware of your actions and make sure you’re doing the right thing to support to change. Observe how you communicate and act around other people

• Provide training – this is essential to help your people. The more support you can provide, the better the team can adapt to change

• Be consistent and celebrate successes – as your team makes progress, identify opportunities and celebrate quick wins.

As a leader, you have to ask question: Does it make sense? Is it worth it? Are you all for it?

Once you’ve answered those questions, there is no time to waste. It is time to move forward and set the groundwork to make it happen.