When it comes to making critical decisions, understanding whether you are being patient or stubborn is of the utmost importance. While patience is actively waiting for something, stubbornness is actively fighting against something. To outside observers, they look awfully alike in action. Both require inaction as leaders strategize for the future; however, patience presumes changes will occur over time that will reward that inaction, while stubbornness clings to the existing course of action even as the facts change.
In my experience, once leaders get past being stubborn and accept new information, many of them still stall or fail to make the necessary changes because they lack the know how to be able to create the new path forward. I also see leaders who aren't stubborn or patient, but something far worse, apathetic. Their current processes are good enough and instead of fostering a continuous improvement mentality, they're about "if it ain't broken, don't fix it".
A desire to "make people better" seems like it's the opposite of "If it ain't broke..."
The apathetic leader you describe is a person with a position, but fails to demonstrate the core leadership expressions. It's a tough situation for any organization that defines and approaches leadership in the way you've described, David.
In my experience, once leaders get past being stubborn and accept new information, many of them still stall or fail to make the necessary changes because they lack the know how to be able to create the new path forward. I also see leaders who aren't stubborn or patient, but something far worse, apathetic. Their current processes are good enough and instead of fostering a continuous improvement mentality, they're about "if it ain't broken, don't fix it".
A desire to "make people better" seems like it's the opposite of "If it ain't broke..."
The apathetic leader you describe is a person with a position, but fails to demonstrate the core leadership expressions. It's a tough situation for any organization that defines and approaches leadership in the way you've described, David.
Love the operational definition to leadership that is that simple and actionable, "making people and situations better"