I took a vacation several weeks ago and explored Zion and Bryce National Parks. Both parks were magnificent—fabulous hiking with beautiful scenery and breathtaking views.
At Bryce Canyon you’ll find spectacular rock formations called hoodoos (tall, skinny spires of rock protruding from the bottom of the canyon). They range in size from a few feet to heights exceeding a 10 story building.
Hoodoos are the result of change at work—a constant weathering process—water freezing and expanding to pry open cracks bit by bit making them ever wider. (Bryce has over 200 freeze/thaw cycles in a year.)
Weathering gradually changes the hoodoos. New ones are created; others fall. As individual hoodoos change, the shape of the canyon changes.
It struck me how this natural change process is similar to organizational change. As leaders, we are charged with being change agents and implementing organizational change efforts. But, to be an effective leader, we must remember that we can’t change things unless we change ourselves. The shape of the canyon floor changes one hoodoo at a time. True leadership involves the recognition of the need for change within, and then the discipline to live like it is so.
Tags: Beyond the Jargon, Calibra, change, Change Management, Diane Hamilton, Leadership Development
