Three Steps For Leading Change Intentionally

We’ve all heard this famous quote by Mahatma Gandhi and may even own a mug, poster, or journal that proclaims his powerful words.

But what does it really mean to BE the change?

Just like Gandhi’s words inspire, you first must know who you are (the “be”) to know what actions to take toward positive change (the “do”). It’s easy and often tempting to jump past the being exploration straight into the doingaction without examining what strengths, values, and skills you can share. Your passion and excitement for positive change can spark an enormous amount of activation energy that, when left unchecked, may lead you astray. Instead, use these three steps to lead change intentionally.

Use these three steps to lead change intentionally (Click To Tweet)

STEP ONE: Start by grounding yourself in the purpose that drives your passion.

Your values express what matters to you most — your priorities, truths, and beliefs point to your overall purpose. When attended to and activated consistently, these values ground and guide your life so you feel more fulfilled and energized.

When ignored, they cause emotional friction and tension. Throughout the summer, we’ve explored and defined our core values and seen how leading from a place of purpose inspires a more authentic and intentional life.

Take a moment now to identify which values are directing your actions.

• Which of your core values are most present for you now?
• Are any of your values misaligned or being ignored?
• What do you need to do to realign with your values to lead more authentically?

STEP TWO: Next, clearly define your vision for change.

Vision is central to leading change in congruence with your core values. Without vision, change can feel bumpy and even cause you to get stuck in circumstances that you might otherwise navigate successfully.

Leading with a well-defined vision is like riding a bike down a newly paved path where you can move ahead smoothly, while noticing all the new opportunities along the way. When you hit a bump or fall off your bike, your vision still provides a strong foundation under you as you rise again and keep riding.

• What change are you craving to activate?
• What about the current circumstances isn’t working?
• If you could wake up tomorrow and the situation has improved, what would it look and feel like?

Consider what vision is driving you to action (Click To Tweet)

STEP THREE: Now, align your resources with your vision.

When we feel called to lead change, our initial passion and excitement around all the possibilities needs to work collaboratively with the external resources that are available and accessible.

Chances are, you’re not the only one that wants to see this kind of change happen. The most sustainable change happens when you enlist like-minded people to help you activate in your bigger vision. Start by identifying what resources are already present in your life.

• What skills, talents, and strengths can you use to bring your vision to life?
• Who else is invested in leading change with you?
• What external resources (finances, supplies, relationships, etc) do you have to help make this happen?

Collaboration can make change happen on a bigger scale when you stay grounded in your values (Click To Tweet)

As you work to activate your vision, these three areas will help define a process for leading change, going beyond just being the change. First, we must be a person grounded in our core values so we can then lead the change that our vision illuminates.

Lead the change you desire with authenticity based on your values (Click To Tweet)

Be the Revolution,

Leslie Bosserman, M.Ed., CPCC

Executive Coach + Lifestyle Strategist for Millennial Leaders + Managers