I’m reading a new book … A Sense of Urgency by John Kotter. So far so good, but the jury is still out. My attention is easily lost when most books lately are the same old information “re-hashed” by a different author.
Anyway, I was struck by the second chapter … Complacency and False Urgency. As leaders we are definitely responsible for creating a sense of urgency, but do we really understand the opposing issue of complacency in our organizations? This is an especially difficult concept for me.
What’s the difference between complacency and the need as leaders to be consistent and to make decisions and implement change very carefully? One of my Leadership Fundamentals is “consistency.” In a recent post (read it HERE) I made the argument that good leaders are consistent leaders that recognize that constantly changing things –without good reason that everyone can see, of course– causes people to be hesitant to take them seriously. People are constantly wondering whether or not this new “thing” is the “flavor of the month” or if it will really happen. The leader basically looses credibility every time they make a big deal out of something that ultimately doesn’t happen.
So, how does a leader balance the need to deal with complacency in the organization and to be a consistent leader at the same time? The dictionary says complacency is “a feeling of contentment or self satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger or trouble.” John Kotter highlights “feeling” and “self” as he addresses the issue of complacency. He correctly makes the point that complacency is a feeling that a person has about her or his own behavior.
I acknowledge that I don’t have the answer to this question. This chapter has really caused me to think about it, though. I felt that is was worth a post. What do you think?
Complacency is definitely a killer when it comes to developing an organization … a “culture” that continuously makes change for the better. The natural tendency is to be complacent, so addressing it head on has to be a priority for any leader.
