What is it about routines that give us such comfort?  We eat the same foods, hang with the same people, wear the same clothes, and keep the same hair style.  We take comfort in the familiar, we use old habits to anchor ourselves and we delude ourselves into thinking this provides us with control.  Jokes on us folks, control is just an illusion.

Now that our routines are upside down and we are faced with undeniable changes ahead, how are you meeting the challenge?  Are you focused on identifying new opportunities or are you fighting hard to return to the “good old days”?

Many companies had it good before the crash; some of them are waiting for an opportunity to return to “normal”.   No change necessary, no self-examination, and no consideration of new opportunities; let us get back to our old ways of doing things as that’s what we know and that’s what is most comfortable.  Will these companies be able to compete in the new world that will emerge?  It’s a risky strategy that speaks to the inherent fear people have of change.  They are so change-averse that they are willing to return to the old ways rather than considering new ways of doing business.  (Does anyone remember the definition of insanity?)

Whether we like it or not, we are surrounded by unprecedented upheaval that is financial, cultural and technological (and very, very global).  There is small window as we wind our way through the next 12 to 18 months to seize the opportunity presented by this terrible circumstance to look at our world differently and develop new ways of doing business in the future.  As a business leader, what will you do with this once-in-a-lifetime chance?  Are you going to keep with your old ways or will you try something new?