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The Vulnerability of Change
Managing change and leading ourselves before we try and lead others are two of my favourite topics. As a Southern African who’s spent a large chunk of her life flying airplanes, and another good chunk sharing communication, strategy and leadership tools with business teams across multiple industries — I’d have considered myself fairly well versed on both topics. Until I moved countries.
Granted, moving from Zimbabwe to New Zealand was always going to involve a fair amount of change. Just how much, and in what ways, wasn’t something I understood until now. As a Southern African, I’m used to meeting change head-on. I’m used to having to make multiple new plans per day on short notice. What I’m not used to is trying to find my footing when I arrive in an entirely new space, even when that new space is of my own choosing.
Change makes us vulnerable, and not wanting to feel vulnerable is one of the biggest reasons we avoid it. So how do we cope when we need to choose big change?
We take lessons from a lobster.
The below analogy has come at me from various sources recently — each time appealing more to my increasing recognition of the process. I thought I’d share it.
