“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”—John F. Kennedy
I am in academia. You would think that change is par for the course. It is not. In fact, it seems that academics (in my experience) are the least likely to embrace change. As one who embraces the kaizen philosophy, I find this challenging. Academics assess out the wazoo, but rarely does one see it lead to anything but more of the same. Maybe because, when you don’t want to change, it is easy to find justification for the status quo.
I am not knocking academia (per se). I am just making an observation. Academics are not the only ones who resist (deny the necessity of) change.
Change isn’t only necessary, it is inevitable. It should be welcomed. Change, after all, reflects growth. It is not a condemnation of past practices. Rather, change is a recognition that times and people change—people learn and grow. With growth comes new opportunity.
Now, one should not pursue change for change sake. Change should not be driven by the winds. Change is not random. Instead, change requires planning and self-evaluation. Having a growth plan suggests that one desires change.
Change is not driven my trends. Indeed, if one is following trends, one is a mere follower. Effective change is led. It is driven by a few who are (extra)ordinary and forward thinking. Change drivers don’t think outside of the box. Drivers of change refuse to see the box. (See “Think outside the box?”, April 11, 2017.) It is the one who wants to stifle growth who tells us there are walls. Don’t listen to such people!
Personally, I am more afraid of not changing. It isn’t that I feel that I am not doing things well. I believe I am. But what constitutes “doing well” today will not be so tomorrow. I firmly believe that we should “do your best today; do better tomorrow”. This doesn’t mean I wasn’t success or (extra)ordinary today. It just means that others need my best to be better.
We have a choice. We can be stubborn and rigid—or we can be pliable and fit the needs of tomorrow. Pliable need not be passive. Success comes from observing and adapting proactively. (Extra)ordinary people are ahead of change.
Winston Churchill said “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” Carpe momento!