Change

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Change is hard. We work throughout our lives to put the pieces together that allow us to get through the day, week, month, or year with the hope that at the end of the period, we will be at least a little better off than when we started. We all hope that no calamity or crisis occurs that sets us back and causes us to start all over again. It can be difficult, and it is understandable that as our lives become stable, we resist changing the status quo because the future is unknown, and at least to some degree, we have conquered the past. As much as we would like to put our feet up, remote in hand, and enjoy the respite, the future continues to unfold, and we risk becoming spectators instead of participants in events evolving around us.

I get it. Change is exhausting, but it can also be exhilarating. I’ve worked in public utilities and factories throughout the U.S. throughout my career, applying science. Inevitably, when a problem is identified, and a solution is proposed, the first reaction is almost universally exclaimed, “We have been doing it this way for ___ (fill in the blank) years, and we are not going to change it now.” When that statement is made, I know that my job changes from an engineer to a teacher.

Perhaps the most challenging part of my job is to convince hard-working, seasoned, and experienced adults to change something they may have spent their careers building. I have frequently been successful in doing so, but I have had my fair share of failures too. I long ago adopted the perspective that every day holds a lesson in humility – I don’t solve every problem I set out to. However, I engage the issue, acknowledging the hard work and accomplishments that got to that point and building on that effort.

I am reminded of a meeting I had with a manager in a chemical factory many years ago. His first words to me upon introduction were, “Another god-damned consultant! What are you going to do for me?” I understood his skepticism and didn’t run and hide. Instead, I explained what needed to be done and got to work. He checked my work daily with grunts and stern looks that eventually gave way to conversations. The work resulted in a breakthrough, and the changes they implemented saved them millions and simultaneously brought them into environmental compliance. The experience confirmed the value of facing an issue head-on, trusting my training and experience, and not flinching in the face of skepticism.

I admit to having tunnel vision with my nose buried in projects and spreadsheets far too much, limiting my view of the broader world. I had assumed that while I was busy doing my job, others we placed into leadership positions were doing their jobs. I expected that their work would offer the guidance we seek to discern the future and help us build on past accomplishments to meet it. Their advice, it was hoped, would make productive use of our effort and resources. Their task, too, would be to teach hard-working, seasoned, and experienced adults about the changes our future demands of us so that we can begin that journey. I am disappointed; that has not been the case.

If it is true that we will be judged by our fruits, it appears that our harvest will be meager. Leaders have been afraid to speak of hard and inconvenient truths. We face daunting challenges ahead, and it now seems that any hope of principled, courageous leadership will come from our children. Our present leaders have abdicated the responsibilities of their positions through meekness, timidity, stubbornness, and lack of vision. It is time to sweep away those who seek to lead from behind and place into those positions people who will work unflinchingly toward solutions.

As we look to fellow citizens as future leaders, I propose the following attributes to consider:

• Veracity – to tell the truth, no matter how difficult the issue. We are tough and resilient people and can manage the reality of our circumstances.
• Respect – the work and efforts of others must be acknowledged and respected. No one in this world accomplishes meaningful goals by themselves.
• Vision – have a clear-eyed understanding of our issues, problems, and potential solutions based on fact.
• Trust – uphold the public trust of the office; ethically.

Change is hard. It always has been and always will be. Yet, change is necessary to adapt and thrive – the future comes no matter what. If we are going to build something with our lives that is worth passing on to our children, we must seek and maintain worthy leadership.

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Kevin Deeny