Leading Through Change: Holding Onto Your Values in a Shifting World

I saw my father cry for the first time when I was ten. It was just a few weeks before Christmas, and the six of us kids were really looking forward to getting a tree and a few toys. We had been talking about it for months and knew exactly the magic the Christmas spirit could bring. One particularly cold day, Dad walked in the front door looking defeated. He announced that he’d lost his job—two weeks before Christmas.

He’d been working at Adams Payne Printing in New York for over 30 years (interrupted only by his service in World War II). He’d joined the firm straight out of high school; it was the only work he knew. The firm had adopted new technology a month or so prior, and now, technology was replacing traditional typesetting firms like the one my dad worked at. There was no more place for him in the printing world, which likely meant no Christmas for us.

Every time new technology displaces loyal employees or leaders grapple with telling an entire team that they are no longer needed, I’m reminded of that day. But it’s not just technology that spins at a breakneck pace in today’s world. News, social media, and the desperate claw to be current all feed constant social anxiety.

But how can we step away, step back, and slow down when the world demands continuous change? How can we look in the eyes of a man who’s spent 30 loyal years that he’s no longer needed? And how do we return from the unsettling feelings that arise when the deed is done?

There’s no way to stop the world from spinning or ignore technology’s benefits. What we can do is hold fast and strong to our own values. We can reconcile with ourselves when we have had to do a tough deed, knowing that we did it consciously, openly, and honestly. We can feel all the feelings of having to make tough decisions as leaders if we make those choices with a clear head and the knowledge that our values are still intact.

Here are some ways to cope with those tough decisions:

• Align yourself with your core values first: Know what feels okay and what doesn’t, and stick with those decisions. It might be difficult to replace team members with technology, but you can be honest about the transition and offer the best package when they leave. You can even transition some people to different positions and deliver training.

• Stay the course: organizations might be making a global shift in one direction following a trend, but you do not have to be part of that trend. Stick with the policies and groundwork that shape your company culture and adjust when needed – but only as that adjustment aligns with your culture.

• Make your stance clear: The people you lead should know where and how you stand on any policy and when it comes to adopting technology. Decide how you want to present new technology to your teams and be transparent about its meaning. Remember that you will need the human skills of analysis and critical thinking to ‘lead the machines,’ and teach your teams how to adopt these skills—I’m betting they’re already part of your core culture.

Technology will come and go, and that means tough decisions. However, as a leader, those decisions never have to stray from your culture or values.