Getting Comfortable with Change and The Unknown: Be a Zebra

Amid change, we naturally long for what was...and it’s important to allow ourselves to grieve that loss. At the same time, we must be open to, and prepared for new possibilities. As COVID-19 continues to spread and cities, states, and nations continue to respond, we are entering a new reality–life is going to change. Whole sectors of our society are going to shift. Education at all levels is going to look different, businesses will operate differently, the role of technology in our lives will change, nonprofits will begin to connect and find new ways to offer services. Across the board, I believe we are going to see “rules” and “conventional wisdom” change. While we don’t yet know how things will change, I think we can prepare for change by keeping a few things in mind:

In discomfort, it is natural to yearn for and seek comfort.

I want to caution about running away from discomfort. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. We are already feeling discomfort as we adapt to the reality of COVID-19. It is important for us to find healthy stress releases and care for our families and ourselves. That said, the goal is to “care in the midst of discomfort.” Change isn’t going to stop anytime soon, and it is uncomfortable. Finding ways to get comfortable with being uncomfortable will prepare us for the ongoing shifts we will continue to experience as the world changes.

Be a Zebra, not a Unicorn.

Unicorns are the 10x growth, $1billion companies. And, pre-COVID-19 that’s what it seemed everyone wanted to be. Going forward, and learning lessons from our current circumstances, exponential growth can be exciting and rewarding for the few that achieve it, but the journey to get there comes at a cost: razor-thin margins, which increase organizational fragility. Whereas, a Zebra (go here for a great comparison of Zebras and Unicorns) is about sustainable, community-minded growth and success. Our world needs more Zebras.

Last thing: Nobody knows the future for sure.

Nobody has done this before. We are all learning together. Nobody has a crystal ball. If they do, it is cracked and cloudy. So, we are going to have to do a lot of trial and error as we figure out what “normal” looks like. I hope we’ll extend some compassion towards others and ourselves as we go through the ups, downs, and messes of figuring out how to adapt our organizations, families, and lives to a new reality. A little compassion and understanding (with ourselves and others) will go a long way.