change.

”Leadership is the art of disappointing people at a rate they can stand.” - Ronald Heifetz

Have you ever smoked a brisket? Tastes amazing but takes all day.  

Ever roasted a marshmallow? Left for a few lazy seconds it can explode into a fireball.

It’s a balancing act between time and temperature.  

Leading people through change can feel similar.

Time and temperature seem to be necessary ingredients.

People need time to ‘warm up’ to an idea. We know change adaptation is more emotional than logical so let’s think about it as a process.

Many times we try to logically convince someone change is the right decision. In reality, they simply need time to emotionally grieve losing what was. How many times have you heard a passive ‘yes’ today only to face a stronger ‘no’ tomorrow?

The solution?

As leaders, we create a ‘holding environment’ that moves someone through change with enough heat to adapt while simultaneously not turning them into a fireball.

Therein lies the art of disappointing people at a rate they can stand.

In your business, non-profit or church: 

How would your team describe your balance of time and temp?

Do you avoid change because of disappointing people?