For the last few months I have been going to a yoga class every Saturday morning—the instructor is great—I have become used to her routine, her voice, and the overall class.
Last week she was out, and we had a new instructor.
My initial thought when he walked into the room and started, was that I didn’t like him. For the first 15 minutes I found myself focusing on how he was different than the regular instructor—too “groovy,” too fast, he taught the class differently. Then I started to notice something….
While his instruction was not what I was used to, he also focused on different aspects of the poses. I found myself improving and learning from him—he emphasized different aspect, he focused on different details. After 45 minutes, I had grown and improved my yoga practice. On my drive home, I reflected on this experience and was struck by how initially resistant to change (a new instructor) I was, and how much energy I had expended on resisting, and yet once I opened my mind to a new way or perspective, my abilities and practice improved.
Lots of relevance here for how we deal with change in our organizations and the rest of our lives.
Inciting Leaders 