I recently watched a beautiful video of a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. If you’ve ever witnessed this amazing phenomenon, you know that it looks like hard work. The insect struggles to break free of its temporary shelter for what can feel like an eternity. Of course, that push-pull is an essential part of the transformation. Without it, the butterfly would emerge with underdeveloped wings and never be able to fly.
Change is hard. Full stop. A caterpillar doesn't just go into its cocoon, grow wings, and easily emerge as a butterfly. It literally digests itself, liquefies, and then builds an entirely new body. Whether with butterflies, human or organizational development, it is only through this adaptive cycle that true transformative growth can happen.
Change Requires Faith
There’s an unforgettable moment towards the end of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade when Indy finds himself at the edge of a cliff with no way across to the other side. He stares into the void below as his father, who lies injured nearby, calls out to him that he must have faith. Suddenly, Indy gets it. He takes a step forward, seemingly into the divide, and magically, a bridge appears to support his journey.
Taking that first step can be terrifying because it requires a level of faith that doesn’t come naturally to most people. It certainly didn’t for me. In an earlier post I wrote about the dissolution of my marriage, but the truth is, I stayed too long. That partnership had long ago stopped working, but I stayed for years because it was also familiar and safe. I stayed because leaving would mean taking a step into the unknown. I stayed because I didn’t know what was on the other side. I stayed because I was scared. Eventually, my discomfort outgrew my fear, and I knew I had to go. So, I gathered my courage, embraced the unknown, and took a step.
Change Requires Radical Bravery
The months (and years) after my divorce included some dark days, but leaving catalyzed my decision to move across the country, facilitated me into a fancy title with a tech company, and allowed me to spend the last two years of my Dad's life with him. It was a difficult, but incredible time in my life. And then, quite suddenly, I was "reorg-ed" out of my fancy title and pushed into another period of change and uncertainty.
This time, I gave myself a gift. I decided that over the next year, I would say "yes" to any opportunity that felt nourishing. I got certified in coaching and the Enneagram, I went to Cuba with girlfriends, read stacks of books, and took a long overdue trip with my mom. I intentionally invested in myself, committed to the full experience of transformation – the easy parts and the hard ones – and did the work to radically reinvent myself. Was it scary at times? Ummm, yah, but that year changed me in fundamental ways and helped me discover more of who I am.
For many companies, the pandemic has provided an opportunity to reinvent their corporate practices and procedures for a post-COVID world. As I wrote in a recent post, it has also illuminated the existing issues we couldn’t (or chose not to) see before. The decision we face now is this: do we re-examine all of it or do we worry about floor tiles?
Real Change Isn't Cosmetic
With the future so unknown, it naturally feels safer to retreat back to what felt comfortable than to radically redefine what our work cultures can be. But if we take the time to dream our work lives forward together now, take that step into the unknown, and have faith I believe we’ll set ourselves up for new levels of success in the long-term.
How are you dreaming forward? What has been your experience with leaps of faith? I’d love to hear from you.
