The Power of the falls

I recently spent a few days in Niagara Falls and throughout the conference the topic of failure and falling forward resurfaced on many occasions.

Each morning and evening as I would look out of my hotel window, I was struck by the magnitude of the flowing water and the inevitable precipice that it was headed towards. There was no escaping the movement forward. As I continued to follow the flow, the water would disappear into the cloud of mist and the deep abyss. Then, something magical occurred. It reappeared as a calm and constant current that was destined for the next phase in the journey. I admired this ongoing transformation between heading towards a destination, undergoing the necessary change and the emergence of an altered state. I thought about life and how we go through these transformations on a daily basis. We are never the same person, since each experience changes us slightly or dramatically, depending on the magnitude of the moment. 

I remembered several keynote speakers talking about failure in entrepreneurship, learning from our struggles and the importance of change for continuous growth. The Falls were demonstrating the human behaviour that we often struggle with the most: constant change. 

What if we embraced the inevitable?

What if we chose to dictate our growth?

What if we viewed failure as a positive outcome on our way to success?

What if we looked ahead, anticipated transformation and planned accordingly?

As I soaked up the scene on multiple days, I began to see more details and my perspective refined. I noticed that approximately 500m above the falls, there was a diversion of the water. Some water flowed freely towards the impressive precipice while other amounts were diverted towards a smaller and gentler fall. It was one that was less intimidating, offered more assurance for survival and success and was a safer route. Ultimately, all of the water, no matter the path taken, reunited at the bottom of both falls and proceeded peacefully downstream. 

You can imagine where my mind went!

Change is an integral part of life but we all anticipate it, fear it and experience it differently. Some are born to thrive in the face of significant challenges and no matter what the obstacle, they will flourish. Others require a more gentler approach and experience in order to see the benefits of change. 

How do you view change? Do you abhor it and merely survive or do you grow from it and learn from the transformation?

How do your colleagues react to adversity and challenges? Could their fear be a matter of perspective?

What if they saw the Falls and could see with their own eyes, that the approaching discomfort was followed by the calm waters ahead?

In any instance of planned change, I suggest mapping out the process and explaining the anticipated challenges as well as the desired success. Then it is important to listen for concerns, misalignment and barriers. Be strategic in your design, purposeful in your pursuit and transparent with your communication. The fear of the unknown can be debilitating while knowledge and context provide the structure for successful growth. 

We all follow a similar path and should help each other not only survive but thrive.