A poem for change leaders
Do you remember advice you have received over the years that helped shape you as a leader?
This is the mug l keep as a memento of a piece of advice I received many years ago that was one of those defining moments in my career. The mug was a gift from the CEO not long after I started in my first unit manager’s role. I was in my twenties, setting up a new HR unit, and my manager (who was one of the CEO’s direct reports) was clearly not happy about the change that was happening in his area.
The CEO gave me this mug as a piece of advice, no doubt to help educate me about the realities of organisational life. Unfortunately, he provided no other advice or support, but I got the message. I was challenging the status quo and I would need more than skills if I was going to survive. I knew I had to decide what I was going to do.
Thinking back now, I’m reminded of that Kenny Rogers song:
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run.
It’s tempting when you find yourself alone in this situation to give in and conform. But at the time, after some reflection, I found another poem that summed up what I wanted to say back. And so the next day I presented the CEO with a gift-wrapped poem in response.
I now give it to you, because as a change leader you will often need to have the strength and courage to “hold them” in the face of opposition, and sometimes treachery, and I hope this poem helps to give you courage. You can change the gender (as I did at the time) to suit yourself:
If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don’t,
If you like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost certain you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you are lost,
For out in the world you’ll find,
Success begins with a person’s will –
It’s all in a state of mind.
If you think you’re outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster ones
But sooner or later the person who wins
Is the person who thinks she can!
(The Person Who Thinks She Can by Walter D. Wintle (modified))
So when you are under pressure to conform and give in, when you are challenging the status quo and trying to change things, bring out this poem and remind yourself - to have any chance, you first of all have to believe in yourself, look for some support so you are not alone, and have the courage to try.
Susan Kehoe
Consultant | Mentor | Change Leader
Work with Susan
Susan provides consultancy advice, mentoring, program leadership and interim executive support to leaders and organisations where there is a need to challenge the status quo, engage people, shift culture and lift performance.
This is the mug l keep as a memento of a piece of advice I received many years ago that was one of those defining moments in my career. The mug was a gift from the CEO not long after I started in my first unit manager’s role. I was in my twenties, setting up a new HR unit, and my manager (who was one of the CEO’s direct reports) was clearly not happy about the change that was happening in his area.
The CEO gave me this mug as a piece of advice, no doubt to help educate me about the realities of organisational life. Unfortunately, he provided no other advice or support, but I got the message. I was challenging the status quo and I would need more than skills if I was going to survive. I knew I had to decide what I was going to do.
Thinking back now, I’m reminded of that Kenny Rogers song:
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run.
It’s tempting when you find yourself alone in this situation to give in and conform. But at the time, after some reflection, I found another poem that summed up what I wanted to say back. And so the next day I presented the CEO with a gift-wrapped poem in response.
I now give it to you, because as a change leader you will often need to have the strength and courage to “hold them” in the face of opposition, and sometimes treachery, and I hope this poem helps to give you courage. You can change the gender (as I did at the time) to suit yourself:
If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don’t,
If you like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost certain you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you are lost,
For out in the world you’ll find,
Success begins with a person’s will –
It’s all in a state of mind.
If you think you’re outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster ones
But sooner or later the person who wins
Is the person who thinks she can!
(The Person Who Thinks She Can by Walter D. Wintle (modified))
So when you are under pressure to conform and give in, when you are challenging the status quo and trying to change things, bring out this poem and remind yourself - to have any chance, you first of all have to believe in yourself, look for some support so you are not alone, and have the courage to try.
Susan Kehoe
Consultant | Mentor | Change Leader
Work with Susan
Susan provides consultancy advice, mentoring, program leadership and interim executive support to leaders and organisations where there is a need to challenge the status quo, engage people, shift culture and lift performance.