The prerequisite for the desire to change starts with dissatisfaction. We do not want our team, companies, community, country, etc. to change because we are satisfied with the status quo. We desire change because something in our lives is not working - and that dissatisfaction with the current results is strong enough to overcome the contentment with the way things are.
In the context of leadership, the dissatisfaction with how things are currently tends to be something bigger than ourselves. These issues go beyond the indivdual, and even within a small group of people; these issues are most likely systemic in nature.
As best put in the book When Everyone Leads, Authors Julia Fabris McBridge and Ed O'Malley wrote: "Dissatisfaction that fuels leadership is future oriented and related to big, important things that concern us the most..."
What do those issues look like for leaders today? Here are some examples:
Jim is a VP of sales in a medium-sized company. Jim is dissatisfied with the sales staff's lack of professional development opportunities for newer employees. The company's executive committee and advisory board believe there is too much turnover in the sales industry to invest in entry-level positions. Jim believes that the high turnover is in part caused by the lack of investment in people. Supervisors and managers complain they cannot keep quality talent very long, but none of them are compelled enough to seek change. This cycle of dissatisfaction and apathy has gone on for a few years but is never acted upon to make a change.
Stacy is an equity partner in a 40-person law firm. Stacy is dissatisfied with the lack of urgency to modernize the firm's business practices. Much of the firm's systems have not been updated in 5 years, and the process of the work seems to get slower and less efficient in the last year or so. Stacy's is that competition may modernize faster than her firm, and ultimately catch up or surpass them in the market. Some of the other equity partners dismiss the issue by stating that the firm's share of the market is built upon a solid foundation of reputation and familiarity. Stacy believes that without modernizing the systems and workflow, the firm is eventually going to be surpassed by more efficient competition.
Andy is the president of a small non-profit. The non-profit's mission is to help first-generation college students have access to career resources when interviewing for internships and jobs. Andy is dissatisfied with the current students' proficiency in business etiquette. Andy has been receiving more feedback recently that the current student population lacks emotional and social awareness in a professional setting. The local economy feels there is a gap that needs to be filled by the university, while the university states they lack the resources to do so. Andy has brought this up to the board of his nonprofit before with no success, with some board members citing the lack of mentors volunteering to work with students. Andy believes that without filling the business etiquette knowledge gap, the local economy will eventually suffer.
The Takeaway:
Dissatisfaction with the way things are can be a catalyst for meaningful change. Sometimes that change seems daunting or overwhelming; the examples above are most likely not going to be solved with subject matter expertise or formal authority alone. Meaningful change requires you to get into the minds, hearts, and guts of others to want to also help you make that change. After all, you will need the help of others!
But rather than remain apathetic or content with the current reality, it is up to you to keep the heat of that dissatisfaction hot enough for everyone involved to move on from "the way things are" - and move towards "what can we do better?". That is what leadership is all about.
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