Top Takeaways Tuesday: Navigating Change: Scared? So What!?
The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast, Ep. 59 with Dr Grant Van Ulbrich
Hello KSKOers
I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Dr Grant Van Ulbrich in episode 59 of The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast. We talked about the importance of self-awareness and reflection, Grant’s ‘Scared So What’ personal change model, leadership, future demands on the world of work and more. Here are my top takeaways…
1. Self-Awareness and the "Scared So What" Model: Grant’s emphasis on self-awareness and his ‘Scared So What’ model offers a powerful tool for managing personal change. By encouraging people to recognise their feelings and assumptions, the model empowers each of us to make informed decisions and navigate our way through our fears. The app that supports the model, helps us reflect on the ensuing change, explore our reactions to it and plan how we will respond to it (i.e. our ‘So What’ plan).
Reflection question: How can you incorporate the ‘Scared So What’ model into help you reflect on your feelings and respond to an ensuing change?
2. Leadership at All Levels: We agreed that anyone can practice transformational leadership, regardless of their official title or position within an organisation’s hierarchy. This idea of leadership at all levels challenges traditional hierarchical structures and invites us to think about how we can nurture leadership traits in others, regardless of where they sit within our structures.
Reflection question: What specific actions can you take to demonstrate leadership qualities and inspire positive change within your personal and professional circles?
3. Balancing Technology and Human Connections: Grant's concern about the potential consequences of over-reliance on digital technology and AI prompted us to discuss the need for balance between embracing technological advancements and nurturing physical connections and relationships in a tech-driven world. We seem to be demanding greater technical advancements but that’s alongside a need for greater humanisation in the workplace.
Reflection question: How can you balance human connection with virtual working and greater use of technology in your organisation?
4. Empowerment Through Self-Awareness: The ‘Scared So What’ model guides you through critical self-reflection and ultimately, increased empowerment. Grant talks about the model's ability to help people take control of personal change and raises the question of how we can harness self-awareness to confidently navigate through life's transitions and challenges. The more we know about our purpose, needs, strengths and goals, the better able we are to move towards them.
Reflection question: Have you used the Scared So What app yet?
5. Parallels in Leadership Styles: In our conversation Grant drew parallels between the leadership styles present in the cruise industry and the military. We talked about: hierarchical structures; managing safety and regulations; balancing structure and hospitality particularly relevant in industries where people live and work together for long periods of time; and having a continuous leadership presence and being ‘always on’, 24/7.
Reflection question: What parallels can you draw from your experience or observations of leaders across different teams, organisations and/or sectors?
How can you use these top takeaways and reflection questions (TTRQ)?
Pick one of the TTRQs
Share it with you team
Ask for their thoughts and views. Reflect, discuss and debate
Get to know your own thoughts better. Help others to know their thoughts better. Get to know each other better.
Share your thoughts here with us on what you’ve discovered and learned.
Hope you enjoy the episode and find that these TTRQs generate interesting and awareness raising discussions!
Looking forward to having you on my learning journey!
__________________________
Nia is an expert leader who talks the talk and walks the walk. She is an academically awarded thought leader in self-aware leadership and practices self-aware leadership every single day in her role as a Director in a Children’s Charity.
Fear is natural and so is our resistance to change. I agree, that we should not try to overcome fear, but instead try to understand our fears through reflection and self-awareness.
I love the sacred so what model. In writing, “why” os the critical question that drives the writer and reader forward, but “so what”
Engenders the conclusion and sets up the next stage. So it is in life.