Happy Friday!

On this day, February 3, 1995, Eileen Collins became the first woman to pilot a space shuttle when Space Shuttle Discovery completed an eight-day mission. She also became the first woman to command a shuttle mission in July 1999, taking Space Shuttle Columbia into Earth’s orbit to deploy the Chandra X-ray Observatory. After Columbia was destroyed on a subsequent flight in February 2003, the entire shuttle fleet was grounded until July 2005. On the first flight after the Columbia tragedy, she commanded Discovery on a “return to flight” mission to test new safety modifications and to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). She has logged more than 6,751 hours in 30 different types of aircraft and more than 872 hours in space as a veteran of four space flights.

Eileen Colins told us, “Some people said, “we don’t want to risk astronauts’ lives anymore, we need to stop doing this.” The astronauts don’t feel that way. We fly for our country, we fly for humanity, we fly for exploration, we fly for a variety of reasons, and we don’t stop flying because we have accidents.” Following the Columbia disaster, NASA and its astronauts underwent substantial changes to their organisational and technical procedures. As with organisational change comes discovery and learning, this is enabled by growth mindset change leadership.” Discovery and Change Leadership Requires a Growth Mindset.

“Fixed mindset leaders will quickly contaminate an organisation by killing growth and creativity, as well as promoting incompetence based on their likeness. This cycle will be replicated unless shareholders intervene ruthlessly”

Some of the key challenges when implementing change are employee resistance and not learning or applying the new skills, as well as adopting the new behaviours. These traits can be described as aspects of a fixed mindset, when change implementation really requires a growth mindset.

Fixed Mindset to Change: Disruption and change by default nearly always has a negative impact on work life. Change resistance is the reaction by the organisation, department, or employees when they perceive that an organisational change coming their way could be a threat to them. They are comfortable with the current state, and they stick to what they know.

Growth Mindset to Change: Embrace disruption and change to improve organisation performance and to learn new skills. Mistakes will be made, but this adds to the learning and creates advocates of the change (change agents), develops new capability and moves the organisation towards adoption and sustainable change. Continual learning, development and trying new things keeps advocates stimulated and excited.

Accelerate organisational change implementation by leveraging the positivity of growth mindset employees who embrace change to learn and develop.

Have a fantastic weekend with the ones you love and care for, enjoy some fresh air, exercise, eat drink and be happy.

Further Reading: Change Management Handbook - Leadership of Change Volume 3

Peter consults, speaks, and writes on the Leadership of Change^®. He advises CEOs on how to prepare and align their corporate leadership teams to successfully lead their organisation's change.

For further reading please visit our websites: https://www.a2b.consulting  https://www.peterfgallagher.com Amazon.com: Peter F Gallagher: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

Leadership of Change® Body of Knowledge Volumes: Change Management Body of Knowledge (CMBoK) Books: Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, A, B, & C available on both Amazon and Google Play:

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 1 - Change Management Fables

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 2 - Change Management Pocket Guide

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 3 - Change Management Handbook

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 4 - Change Management Leadership

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 5 - Change Management Adoption

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 6 - Change Management Behaviour

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 7 - Change Management Sponsorship

~ Leadership of Change® Volume A - Change Management Gamification - Leadership

~ Leadership of Change® Volume B - Change Management Gamification - Adoption

Coming soon:

~ Leadership of Change® Volume C - Change Management Gamification - Behaviour

~ Leadership of Change® Volume D - Change Management Gamification - Sponsorship

~ Leadership of Change® Volume E - Change Management Gamification - Leadership Teams

By Peter F Gallagher

Keywords: Business Strategy, Change Management, Leadership