According to Terry Paulson, many people want to identify a change, execute that change and move on. However, Terry’s philosophy is that “Change is like a soap opera, not like a movie.” Terry reminds us that change should be a constant process that keeps us ever evolving and ever growing. One of the limiting factors that prevent us from on-going change is the tremendous psychological need for closure and it’s that need that we must resist.
Terry advises leaders that they have to honor the past, but also honor the people that are creating change in an organization. People that lead others to change have to have vision, ask deep questions and be comfortable with the tension that this might create. They have to know what is working currently and how might that be improved.
Terry believes that you should maintain a 360 degree view of your organization, but realize that in a car, the front window is much bigger than the rear view window, so looking forward is the most important aspect of creating the next vision for your company.