Blog
Status quo
Every single leader, movement, and organization that has ever wanted to create greatness has had to challenge the status quo.
Leaders challenge the status quo to entice improvements.
Organizations challenge the status quo to assemble advancements.
People challenge the status quo to dig deeper into development.
Challenging the status quo takes an open mind, open heart, and open will.
To have an open heart, you need to inspire and encourage others to take a chance.
To have an open will, you must be willing to risk and take bold steps.
To have an open mind, you need to constantly be learning and growing.
To make a difference, to have an impact, and to become great we must do the unorthodox thing.
Every challenge involves confronting the status quo. This precept means we have to test the unproven, dive deep in the unspoken, and challenge the unchallenged.
To move from mediocrity to greatness, we must venture out.
To build something substantial, we must take a strong stand.
To create something meaningful, we must create significance.
Nothing great is ever achieved by doing things the way they have always been done.
To challenge the status quo we must take one fearless choice at a time, one brave decision at a time, one courageous action at a time.
These choices, decisions, and actions transform challenges into exploration, risk into reward, and fear into determination.
Start by asking yourself:
What needs to be challenged?
What needs to be improved?
What is the greatest risk?
What can I expect?
What can I learn?
When we challenge the status quo, we test our skills and we challenge ourselves.
We are not here to stay content. We are here to do better. The gift of life is to make a difference, and the call of leadership is to say this is not good enough.
We have the choice to make things better.
We have an obligation to challenge the status quo.
When we meet that obligation, we are inspiring others to do better and think bigger.
After challenging the status quo ask yourself:
What have I learned?
What did I not expect?
What went right?
What went wrong?
What would I do differently?
What could I have done better?
Don’t challenge for challenge’s sake; learn from the experience.
When we challenge the status quo, we believe that our abilities will be able to make a difference.
Why challenge the status quo?
Externally, the status quo is yesterday’s business. If you’re doing things the way you always have, you know by now that someone, somewhere is figuring out how to make you obsolete. They’re figuring out how to provide what you provide for a tenth of the cost, or how to provide it ten times as well as you do, and at better margins.