Be Willing to Challenge the Status Quo - Agile Leadership

Agile Leadership

As leaders, we can help create a productive project environment by using practices like modeling the behavior we want the team to follow, communicating the project vision, enabling stakeholders to act, and being willing to challenge the status quo.

Be Willing to Challenge the Status Quo

Challenging the status quo means we search for innovative ways to change, grow, and improve—and then

experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from our mistakes. Iterations

are perfect microcosms for experimentation. We can try new ideas for one or two iterations before

committing to them. If the ideas work, we can institutionalize them. If they do not work, it’s no big loss; at

least we tried, and we learned something from the experience.

Allowing stakeholders to suggest new ideas for improvement and then giving them a chance to try out

those ideas is one way to cement the concept that everyone’s ideas have value. There is nothing more

disheartening than having a good idea fall on deaf ears. If this happens, people will soon stop trying to

make suggestions and will no longer care about the project. So to keep our stakeholders engaged, we

should take advantage of the opportunities agile projects present us for small-scale, localized experiments

in a supportive, low-risk environment.

As leaders, we need to encourage our team to challenge the status quo of how we operate, not only

because the team members are in a great position to suggest process improvements, but also because

doing so helps to motivate them. To be successful in this effort, we need to have analytical thinking skills

to help our team brainstorm ideas and solutions and active listening skills to make sure we accurately

understand their suggestions.

The Status Quo Bias

Loving The Things The Way They Are

We have various habits and routines that we go through every day. These help us to live and work in a structure, to overcome some of the burdens of life without much concentration.

But a time comes that the changes in our environment force us to change things we are used to. Changing a habit or routine is not something we are fond of doing.

And sometimes the change is much more profound; our lives may change dramatically and we have to learn new ways to go on.

Change is hard despite the fact that it is one thing inevitable in this world.

It requires leaving the comfort zone. The uncertainty coming with change causes fear and stress.

We tend to think whatever we have now is a given, and we act as if things will stay the same forever.

But change is inevitable; it is only a matter of time before any given of today move away from us and become outdated.

People who are aware of this follow the change in their environment, with small steps.

People who resist the change encounter difficulties when, in the end, change is imposed upon them.

And the more prominent the change, the greater is the impact it has on our lives.

The same goes for businesses.

Some have a culture to follow the change, some disregard all the signs until it is too late.

Change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong. — MANDY HALE

There is a phenomenon called the status-quo bias; we tend to prefer things to stay unchanged, live in our comfort zone; we see change as moving away from the normal.

Some psychologists suggest that if we were aware of our biases, we might find ways to change our behavior to rational reasoning. Being aware of the status quo bias may lead to assessing the situation in a logical way and considering the options that involve change.

But others think that being aware will not lead to objective thinking. Status quo bias is also related to lazy decision making & silo effect in terms of organization root culture, only considering the solutions used before. 

#PRE

So how does a leader challenge the status quo? They have to have an open heart, open will, open mind and that's all about mindset, agile mindset.

To have an open heart, you need to inspire and encourage others to take a chance.

To have an open will, you must be willing to risk and take bold steps.

To have an open mind, you need to constantly be learning and growing.

Every challenge involves confronting the status quo. This precept means we have to test the unproven, dive deep in the unspoken, and challenge the unchallenged.

To move from mediocrity to greatness, we must venture out.

To build something substantial, we must take a strong stand.

To create something meaningful, we must create significance.

Nothing great is ever achieved by doing things the way they have always been done.

To challenge the status quo we must take one fearless choice at a time, one brave decision at a time, one courageous action at a time.

These choices, decisions, and actions transform challenges into exploration, risk into reward, and fear into determination.

#IN

Start by asking yourself:

What needs to be challenged?

What needs to be improved?

What is the greatest risk?

What can I expect?

What can I learn?

When we challenge the status quo, we test our skills and we challenge ourselves.

We are not here to stay content. We are here to do better. The gift of life is to make a difference, and the call of leadership is to say this is not good enough.

We have the choice to make things better.

We have an obligation to challenge the status quo.

When we meet that obligation, we are inspiring others to do better and think bigger.

#POST

After challenging the status quo ask yourself:

What have I learned?

What did I not expect?

What went right?

What went wrong?

What would I do differently?

What could I have done better?

Don’t challenge for challenge’s sake; learn from the experience.

When we challenge the status quo, we believe that our abilities will be able to make a difference.

What action will you take to challenge the status quo?

Lead from within: Challenging the status quo is inspiring ordinary people to become extraordinary leaders.