Currently, it seems that we are more fascinated by dead people than by the living. Take into account all of the latest television hits: Ghost Hunters, Ghost Whisperer, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries. I am personally addicted to Ghost Hunters, and stand in judgment of absolutely no one who loves these shows.
In this time of recession, I think we’ve transferred our fascination to the un-living because they’re easier to deal with than the living. Leaders in corporations who have spent the last twenty years trying to learn how to build teams and help people through change are suddenly regressing to a command and control approach. Employees have ceased to be living, breathing entities and are seen as troops to be thrown to the battle, not treasures to be nurtured.
Leading change is all about understanding how to move the heart and mind of those that do the job. I’m tired of hearing about the process of change. I’m tired of pyramids that show vision, setting goals, delivering training, communicating – as if these process components will magically make change happen.
We are dealing with people who have families to feed, children to send to college, and medical debts to pay. We can’t simply kick them in the butt with a spicy vision or five days of training. Leaders have to take into account their spirits and what will move them.
Maybe we can learn from those who deal with the undead. T.A.P.S. founders and lead investigators Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson on Ghost Hunters teach us to do the following:
There’s more I could say about this, and I’ll address it in another post. For now, recognize that sometimes we work harder at seeing dead people than we do leading the living. Think about your leadership style. Then learn from the Ghost Hunters.
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