Just A Little Dust

Introducing change across anything, be it within the family or at the work place, is bound to meet with some form of resistance.

I was at a meeting the other day when the team was presenting on a new process flow on the way we work for some departments and a majority of the crowd, as predicted, starting giving negative feedback. Typically human, they are oppossed to change. It disturbs them. And so, they react.

Cannot do lah.

Too much trouble lah.

And then, above all that, one of the 'big guys' in the organization slammed his hand down on the table and said very, very clearly, "Bloody hell, you all only know how to complain and say this cannot, that cannot - then YOU tell me what's the best way to do this. Don't just complain - give me a solution. Let's see if whatever you can come up with is better than what we have now."

Silence fell upon the room.

I stared at the big guy with renewed admiration. Ever since I've joined the company, there were a few people whom I've been very careful to avoid - he was one of them. He struck me initially as a very strict and difficult to deal with sort of character. However, that day, I saw the other side of him. Yes, he may not be one of the easiest to engage with in any discussions but when push comes to shove and decisions need to be made, he'd put his foot down and use his influence to push for something if you can convince him it is the only way.

That one statement he made was enough to put a cork in the rest of the complaints heading our way and then the team finished the presentation with minimal road blocks.

Now this, is what I call, first class leadership qualities :)