Cultivating courage
Note: This post is part of a series about The Transformation Flywheel, in which we explore how to nurture the conditions that generate sustainable momentum for transformative change.
Anyone playing a part in business transformation must find the courage to choose progress over perfection, to go against the group, to think bigger, to make mistakes, and to be resilient in the face of inevitable adversity. By its very nature, transformation is about sticking your neck out and disrupting convention.
But kindling and sustaining institutional courage is much easier said than done. Especially when there isn’t a burning platform to escape.
All too frequently, stasis and inhibition are corporate cultural norms. And isolated spasms of disruptive endeavor easily lose momentum, failing to get traction that leads to meaningful impact.
Indeed, according to McKinsey, 70% of digital transformation projects fail to meet the stated goals and expected ROI, delivering incremental improvements and modest gains instead of transformative change and a step change in performance.
The fact is, when looking to transform your business or open up new trajectories for growth, impact shrinks or expands in direct proportion to your courage.
Taking action
To generate sustainable momentum for transformative change, we must make it safe to tackle mysteries, take risks, and challenge the status quo.
Fostering this kind of courage within a team or organization requires a multi-pronged approach that addresses both individual mindsets and the overall environment.
Here are 6 key actions that give teams both the opportunity and permission to be more courageous:
Articulate what will be different and why that is important. Be specific, communicating clearly, simply, and frequently what your goals are, how you will measure success, and what the implications are for how you operate as an organization or team.
Importantly, making transformation goals tangible for all employees takes more than just one-way communication. Proactively create opportunities for dialogue that help people internalize the implications of the expected change and the underlying rationale. Engagement and understanding breed conviction.
Create a space where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, even if they're unconventional or risky. This involves promoting open communication, non-judgmental feedback, and celebrating failures as learning opportunities.
Provide opportunities for team members to explore new ideas and experiment with different approaches. This could involve allocating time and resources to pursue emergent opportunities, participating in hackathons, or attending industry conferences.
Shift the focus from fearing failure to viewing it as a natural part of the learning and innovation process. Encourage team members to learn from their mistakes and share their learnings with others.
Recognize and reward team members who take calculated risks and experiment, even if their attempts don't always lead to immediate success. This demonstrates that the organization values initiative and learning over short-term results.
Leaders play a crucial role in setting the tone. Be open to trying new things, being transparent about your own experiences with failure and growth, and celebrating successes achieved through calculated risks. Leaders who acknowledge uncertainty and demonstrate vulnerability encourage their teams to step outside their comfort zones and express their thoughts and ideas openly.
By taking these steps, you can create an environment where team members feel empowered to challenge norms, take risks, and disrupt the established conventions for how work gets done. All of which are essential to generating sustainable momentum for transformative change.
Need to cultivate courage in your team or organization? Beacon Advisory can help. We partner with ambitious leaders to accelerate business transformation and create new trajectories for growth. We’ll help you get your shift together.
