We know leaders drive change.
Learnings from how the best leaders drive some of this change reveals a key dimension of leadership that is really at the heart of it all.

In this note we travel to the core of such change..where change itself is born...a zone where we witness a nature of leadership and what really defines it.

Change - The Beginnings....
Change is at the heart of organization building. The organization, in my context, is any group - a small team, a business enterprise or even the country itself.
Change, as we know of it, could be manifested in several familiar forms as,
- Change in a team structure(role/responsibility)
- A new product line to be added
- A changed sales strategy(channel/direct sales, pricing...)
- A new/upgraded application/tool (ERP, CRM...)
- Modified business process that yields better results
- A new/modified government policy on education

The list could go on...
But, under-the-hood, where is change first born?
Probably, in the mind.... within a few people; People who are as much in the flow of things as everyone else BUT are willing to undertake something I call "Tough Conversations" - conversations which eventually lead to the birth of a faint, fragile "change idea".

What's a "Tough Conversation"?
In essence, it's is an incisive and interactive dialogue process that enables examination of an internal/ external challenge/opportunity and starts with the following 2 steps -
1. Making "The Tough Statement"
- "This is not working right".
- "We CAN do it better"

This step is about confronting reality - admitting to something within our circle of vision not working as expected...admitting that there is a problem on the table. This is the first step towards conceiving a change. If we refuse to 'see' that there is a problem/challenge, how can we ever attempt to solve/improve it?

AND then,

2. Asking "The Tough Question(s)",
- What if...?
- Why not?

This step involves looking for options that can improve or help. This eventually leads to a change idea that is manifested as a concretized planned change initiative.

'Tough Conversations' is how change is born, and it is this special ability to take on the conversation and pursue the resulting change that defines "Leadership". What's important to note is that "Leadership" a.k.a the ability to engage in "Tough Conversations"("Tough Statement" + "Tough Questions"), is not confined to a select few in the organization based on their title, their years of experience or a special academic degree/qualification.

Anyone could do it - well...almost anyone! Why are only a few people actually able to walk these first two steps? What does it take?

Conquering The Hill: Change never comes easy. Whether it's about providing honest feedback to a team member/subordinate or getting past peer resistance to problems/challenges that impact organizational performance, these require "Tough Conversations" which most of us shy away from. Given that by design, as human beings, we are drawn more to praise and tend to close-out and reject critique, there is the obvious fear of being perceived as the "bad guy" in such a situation. It's probably always easier to be nice and play along.

Questions to consider:
- As a supervisor, are you comfortable in confronting reality during a performance review when it comes to letting your subordinates know what's holding them back?
- Are you comfortable in "communicating" with a peer, or even harder, a superior on something that is not going right?

Why do "Tough Questions" require Leadership?
A "tough question" is about seeing and communicating reality. It's about being authentic on the feedback and saying it like it is. Easy for me to write about it but not so easy when you put this to practice. Try it!

From a leadership standpoint, this requires courage which perhaps comes from a sense of "servant leadership". An ownership and obligation to do a larger good eventually even if it may mean taking a bitter pill in the short term. Relate back to my earlier blog post(Leadership Lessons-II), the example of the "Mother" at home who would not bat an eyelid to give her child a rough time on what (s)he need to improve/change keeping their genuine best interests in mind, always!

Leaders are very uncomfortable sitting in the side stands watching the game. They want to be at the center of the court playing out their best...knowing they could fall, get hurt and even lose. It's just the nature of leadership. They understand that all change begins with them, their tough conversations arising out of challenges/opportunities within their circle of vision.

So - Are you ready to successfully take on and maneuver through "The Tough Questions" to come out stronger in the end? The best of the breed I have seen, are. Will you step up to the challenge of taking on a "Tough Question" the next time you believe something around you needs to change for the better? - That's all it takes!

More on engaging and closing "Tough Conversations" later....

Till then...My Best,
-Deepak