4 Common Leadership Roadblocks in Change Processes: Part 4
Even the most dedicated leaders can get stuck in the desire to do everything flawlessly or avoid mistakes at all costs. In the context of equity and inclusion, this can slow decision-making, create defensiveness around feedback, and prevent organizations from taking meaningful action for fear of it being imperfect.
In this final installment of our four-part series, we’ll explore how Perfectionism can show up in leadership (and in organizational culture more broadly), and offer practical strategies that support bold action and learning as you go.
Perfectionism
A hospital received its local newspaper’s endorsement as one of the region’s best places to work. They celebrated with a post on their website and social media, and put signs about it around the workplace. Meanwhile, internal surveys continued to show disparities in hiring and retention. Employees grew increasingly frustrated by the inaction and what felt like lip service from the top. When staff raised concerns, leaders questioned how they could complain given that leadership had already done so much to make it a great place to work.
Someone who has had success as an organizational leader has had to be excellent at their job. They often care deeply about the organization and take pride in its accomplishments. Sometimes, especially for founders or long-time executives in small organizations, they identify so strongly with the organization that its purpose and qualities feel like an extension of their own.
One downside of this deep connection is that critical feedback can feel personal. To learn that your organization, while doing good work, has also been unfair — or even caused harm — can feel like an indictment of you as a person. This is exacerbated by the perfectionism encouraged in many leadership roles, where admitting mistakes or shortcomings is synonymous with failure. This can be especially challenging if you’ve already taken steps towards fairness and inclusion in the organization, because it might feel like your previous efforts are being ignored or devalued.
When a leader isn’t prepared to tolerate that discomfort, they might respond defensively – either directly, by denying or minimizing concerns, or indirectly, by delaying or watering down change efforts. You might catch yourself thinking things like, “The staff who are complaining don’t recognize how much better we are than other organizations.”
To avoid this roadblock, practice “both/and” thinking. It can be true that you are a principled leader – and that you’ve sometimes messed up. That your organization is good, or has improved, and that it could and should be even better. Seek opportunities to build relationships with other leaders that you can be vulnerable with, admit uncertainty, and reflect honestly on your strengths and weaknesses.
- Courage to enter the process ready to learn and grow
- Willingness to act without certainty on a reasonable plan that includes opportunities to adjust course
- A culture that views mistakes as part of learning (mistakes will happen, but the cost of inaction is often greater than the cost of acting imperfectly)
- Spaces for honest reflection, vulnerability, and growth
Perfectionism can feel like a safeguard, but it often slows change, blocks learning, and keeps good ideas from being implemented. Recognizing and working through perfectionist tendencies — both in yourself and across your organization — creates space for action, learning, and meaningful growth.
When these four roadblocks come up, it’s often a sign that equity work is pressing up against the limits of familiar ways of leading – that’s a good thing! Every one of them can be navigated with intentional reflection, strategy, and support. At Think Again, we help organizations do just that. We offer:
Leadership development through one-one-one coaching, small group work, and cohort-based programs
Organizational assessments of policies, processes, culture, and climate, with a focus on equity and effectiveness
Strategic planning and implementation support to align action with values
Trainings, workshops, and retreats for leadership and staff
We also offer tools to help you identify where your organization is stuck, and how to move forward. Your values deserve more than good intentions. They deserve a roadmap, and a partner who can help build it.
If you’d like to explore how Think Again can support your organization, reach out here.
