Be Like Elsa and Don’t Be Afraid to Change Your Leadership Style

Many people are reluctant to face changes and new ideas. Humans tend to get settled and feel comfortable with the patterns and repetitions of yesterday. But, is this the best way to approach leadership? Not being able to change means not being able to keep up with this Imagination Age.

Be Like Elsa. Let It All Go

If you have children, or nieces or nephews, or grandchildren, or know any young people at all, you’ve probably heard of the movie Frozen. Elsa, one of the leading characters, has to learn to not be afraid of her powers, and to literally ‘let it go.' Resisting change can be a healthy emotion for people, but there comes a time when you have to change directions and learn to let go.

A recent study examined patients who were afflicted with Parkinson’s disease, and scientists found that these patients often had high levels of beta activity. The activity was observed to fluctuate in beta bursts, and the more bursts a patient experienced, the more severe the impairment of the disease. Controlling these bursts with medication helped patients experience increased motor skills (Tinkhauser, 2017).

New ideas are not possible in a brain that is experiencing high-frequency beta-brain-wave thoughts, or the kinds of thoughts that send you rushing from one meeting to the next or from one memo to another. Does your brain look like a brain of a Parkinson’s patient? Are you doing your best thinking when you run around frantically? Are there new, creative, innovative ideas popping into your head?

Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and
then do it.

Ann Landers

If you don’t have an open mind, you are probably more resistant to change. But neuroscience is teaching us more and more about how our brains work, and the old leadership paradigms of the past are quickly becoming obsolete. To compete in this new business age, you must have the right attitude for innovation. Being stuck in the past is not going to produce the results you desire.

To Innovate, You Need New Thoughts, And You Can’t Just Tweak Last Year’s Results

The proper attitude can help ensure that innovation really is possible in your brain. Knowing how to keep your body and mind in balance is crucial to ensuring that you can be the best leader possible. If you have an attitude that refuses to let go of the methods of the past, you are likely to be left behind.

Change is always possible, even if you are resistant at first. Why not explore a leadership methodology that will balance all aspects of your life, instead of just focusing on work? Is there not room for improvement in your personal life as well?

Don’t be afraid to let it all go, and if you’re really brave, sing the song, too. You can be the cutting-edge leader that is needed in this turbulent world environment. You can be the innovative, creative force that leads the way for others. The  can help you usher in your own golden age of leadership.

Citation:
Tinkhauser, G., Pogosyan, A., Tan, H., Herz, D. M., Kühn, A. A., & Brown, P. (2017). Beta burst dynamics in Parkinson’s disease OFF and ON dopaminergic medication. Brain: A Journal of Neurology, 140(11), 2968–2981. http://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awx252