If you have ever tried solving a problem only by thinking about it, then you know how easy it is to get stuck. That’s because to get where you want, to actually solve a problem and make a change, you have to act first.
Aristotle observed that people become virtuous by acting virtuous: if you do good, you’ll be good. Wealth of social psychology research shows that people change their minds by first changing their behaviour. Contrary to popular beliefs, change actually happens when we take action and then reflect on it (the outside-in approach), and not when we first try to figure it out based on what we already know (the inside-in approach).
The inside-in approach is beneficial as a starting point to getting to know yourself and what you stand for, but it’s limited.
To solve problems, to make a change and pivot, you need to do new things, in a new way.
You need to learn by engaging in the ‘process of making a change’, that in turn increases your self-knowledge, and changes how you see yourself and, how others see you.
Why is this approach so important?
Because change requires experiences in the areas where you usually lack competencies.
Even more so, deep-seated ways of thinking – your believes, values and priorities, keep you stuck in behaviours that you know best.
This is why you love doing things that you’re good at, and avoid things that make you feel less able and successful. It’s the main reason why as a leader, you might find yourself doing what you love the most, and not what is the most important thing to do.
But to develop yourself as a person, and as a leader, you need new experiences.
Just relying on old habits, and values doesn’t solve new problems.
It’s about stretching yourself outside of the boundaries of who you are today.
Start by recognising what mindsets – values and beliefs about yourself, have kept you from solving your most pressing and important problems.
These mindset can seem positive (e.g. comfort and security of your current job) or negative (e.g. the lack of time, energy etc) on the surface, but are nonetheless stopping you from acting.
Next, act on a problem within a week, a month and three months, regardless whether you feel competent about taking an action or not.
For example:
If your problem is a work related issue, within the next 3 days: call the most important stakeholders that have an influence on your situation; within the next month: give a presentation that you’ve delaying but could move a needle in a desired direction; within the next three months: learn and intentionally practice a capability that doesn’t feel natural to you, but would make a difference to your career.
Whatever actions you decide to take:
- Reduce the time between thinking and acting
- Know that action on a change can sometimes feel misaligned with who you are at the moment, and
- Can make you feel uncomfortable.
But that’s because you are learning.
To solve problems, learn to love new experiences.
Image: Alamy, Ashley Judd in Double Jeopardy (1998)