Joelle K. Jay, Ph.D., is an award-winning executive coach, LRI Director and author: The Inner Edge: The 10 Practices of Personal Leadership.
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Transformation is a big word these days. Businesses, leaders, industries—they are all confronted with, going through and trying to manage their transformations. My own firm has as its mission: Transforming Leaders to Transform the World.
Transformation is bigger than change. It’s bigger than achievement. It’s rethinking everything to become new again, totally different (in a good way), to accomplish something new, better and more suited to the present moment and the future.
Nowhere is transformation more intense than when it’s taking place in your own life. You may feel a sense of dread or a thrill when you realize that what’s really undergoing transformation... is you.
What will be your transformation?
Sometimes life leads us to transformation, and sometimes we choose it for ourselves. Either way, transformation starts when we begin the journey from where we are—whether we want to be in that place or not—to becoming who we most want to be. Consider which of the following definitions of transformation are best suited to your situation.
A Thorough Or Dramatic Change
Transformations are all about change. Not just change; observable change, often thorough or dramatic. What is the big change you want to make?
A Conversion
Conversion has the connotation of changing one’s beliefs, embracing new ideas, experimenting with new perspectives and finding a new point of view that feels more positive, hopeful or promising. What new or previously rejected ideas are you willing to revisit to see what they have to offer?
A Revision
You don’t have to change everything about who you are to experience transformation. On the contrary, the best, strongest and most naturally brilliant parts of you should drive your transformation; these are the parts that will be revealed by your transformation. That said, are there parts of you (or your life or work or relationships) that you’d like to revise? Change around? Update?
An Evolution
Another variation of transformation is an evolution. In evolution, we strengthen the parts of us that serve us best and let go of some of the aspects that no longer do. What are you ready to release, so you can grow?
A Renewal
There’s a big difference between renovation and remodeling. The first suggests destruction before rebuilding; the second, simply refreshing what already exists—adding something new to bring a breath of fresh air. Are there parts of yourself you’d like to refresh, revitalize or renew?
A Revolution
Revolution implies a rejection of the old ways to turn to a new way: a reinvention; a new start. Where would you like to spark a revolution?
A New Direction
You don’t have to start a revolution to go in a new direction. Often surprising even ourselves, sometimes we’re drawn to a different path or a new destination—something we sense in our soul may change us or our lives for the good.
What will be your transformation?
It isn’t business; it’s personal.
There’s an old retort to the saying, “It’s not personal; it’s just business,” that goes, “Well, it’s personal to me.”
When it comes to the business of transformation, it’s important to realize that transformation changes everything. It’s not just business. It is personal as well.
As businesses transform themselves to innovate for the future, leaders and employees alike will benefit from recognizing that each and every one of you in that business will be affected.
You may have to adjust to sudden, perhaps welcome, perhaps unwelcome, change. The new ways may require new beliefs about what’s possible. You may have to think differently, act differently, work with new people, try new things. There may be big opportunities to embrace. There may be surprising things to let go of. You will all be better and more excited about the possibilities if you can envision a new future—if you can see with enthusiasm what’s ahead. In order to avoid chaos and confusion, you will all need to communicate, collaborate and move together in a new direction.
As a leader, you will be most successful when you attend to the change process and give everyone the time, patience, information and resources to support the transformation—and that includes you.
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