“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”—Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill’s quote points out how individuals face a challenge. It is fairly easy to recognize these personality types. I pose that there is another category that we should include, a “realist.”
A realist is someone who sees things as they really are, good or bad. These individuals are optimistic, but also may appear to be a pessimist based on the reality of the situation.
As nonprofit leaders, we need to be realistic about the future of our mission. The industry is going through a transformation. It will change the way organizations are managed and how nonprofits communicate with constituents and donors.
How a leader communicates the message of change to organization is important. Directing the pessimist, optimist and realist through these opportunities may determine the success of change. Sometimes it is necessary to bring in a change agent/specialist who can assist the leader through the transformation process. They can also help manage the expectations of each of these personality types.
As a realist might say, “Change is never easy, but it can be successful if managed properly.”
-Gail
This is BIG’s Blog and yes, by all means forward our blog to your friends and colleagues.
No comments:
Post a Comment