The Surprising Skills for Driving Change — Inner Development Goals Part 6

With Acting — Driving Change, we explore the fifth category* of the Inner Development Goals (IDG). Traditional leadership frameworks may include elements such as results-orientation, setting SMART goals, delegation, or follow-up when it comes to acting.  Surprisingly, the IDG  focus is on four entirely different skills and qualities that form the foundation of driving change:1) COURAGE (4:03 mins): ability to stand up for values, make decisions, take decisive action and, if need be, challenge and disrupt existing structures and views.Courage is not the absence of fear. It's learning to overcome it. Fear can be evoked by a perceived need to control  results when outcomes are always uncertain.Reflection Questions for Leaders:How aware am I of my own fears? And how do I deal with those?How do I create a safe environment for people to be more courageous?2) CREATIVITY (13:05 mins): ability to generate and develop original ideas, innovate and being willing to disrupt conventional patterns.Perceived dilemma: need to be productive vs. having time to be creative.Creativity is not only about entirely new original ideas;  sometimes it's just  "connecting the dots".Reflection Questions:What conditions does my team need to be creative?How can I nurture new ideas?What is one thing I can do differently today?3) OPTIMISM (24:43 mins): ability to sustain and communicate a sense of hope, positive attitude and confidence in the possibility of meaningful change.Optimism does not mean being overly positive or ignoring the difficult or negative aspects of a situation. It is about seeing possibilities while maintaining realistic.Reflection Questions: Am I more of an optimist or a pessimist?For the pessimist: how is my behaviour perceived by others? How can I focus more on potential positive outcomes while remaining realistic?For the optimist: does my optimism allow for the concern of others to be taken seriously?4) PERSEVERANCE (32:13 mins): ability to sustain engagement and remain determined and patient even when efforts take a long time to bear fruit.Not giving up easily and exercising resilience in the face of adversity, and persistence is shown to be the biggest predictor of people's success; it is more important than IQ.  Perseverance and persistence are related to grit, which is based on an individual's drive and desire for a particular long term goal, thus linking back to intrinsic motivation.Reflection Questions: What keeps me going when times get tough? What is the motivation underlying this endeavour?When I feel like giving up,  what resources can I tap into? What does my team need to be perseverant?More info about us and our work is also on our website: secondcrackleadership.comDo you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions for us? Email us: hello at secondcrackleadership dot comConnect with us on LinkedIn:Martin AldergårdGerrit Pelzer  *Our earlier IDG Episodes:Why Successful Leaders Focus on "Being" before "Doing"The Thinking Skills You Never Thought ofA Fresh Perspective on Improving Relationships at WorkFive Critical Skills to Boost Collaboration in Your Organisation