Embrace Transformation.
That’s the sign on the wall when the elevator doors open on the 14th floor at Honeywell headquarters in Uptown Charlotte.
Those two words struck me when I arrived early in the morning for the fourth session of the Emerging Business Leaders cohort. I walked past the sign, took my seat and that’s when the magic started to happen.
The challenge this month: sit with someone you don’t know and haven’t talked to before. That’s a very uncomfortable task for someone like me – an ambivert who tends to lean more introverted. Networking and small talk are not things I am particularly good at. But as I remembered the words on the wall, I was able to open myself up to all the opportunities the day offered.
During the session we talked about how the pace of change in the world right now is jarring. From technology and innovation to the speed and amount of information flooding us at every given moment; it’s like getting on a rollercoaster and never getting back off. Everything is moving fast. It is easy to feel unsteady and unsure.
That’s where embracing transformation comes into play. It’s not an option in our world. It’s a necessity. We must constantly be evolving, learning, changing and growing. It’s uncomfortable at times. Humans seek stability and comfort. Transformation is exactly the opposite.
As I passed the sign by the elevators throughout the day I kept thinking about those words. Am I embracing transformation? Am I adapting to the changes around me? Am I operating from a growth mindset daily?
I sat down to jot down some notes. I could see where little sparks of transformation were happening in all areas of my life, all at once. Transformation as a person, a mother, a wife, a teammate, a leader.
A lot of those opportunities to open myself up to new ideas and ways of thinking are happening through my participation in things that make me uncomfortable… like joining Emerging Business Leaders, a leadership development group with dozens of men and women from various companies around Charlotte. Or in meeting new people for coffee and conversation through my Executive Producer role at Spiracle Media. Or even in the latest step out of my comfort zone… joining a book club with a bunch of strangers.
I’m getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.
So even though each session of our cohort is a little uncomfortable for me, I walk away with a new idea, new challenge, new connection. And each week I realize I truly am embracing transformation and becoming a better version of myself both professionally and personally.
Natalie Ridley is an executive producer at Spiracle Media where she produces high-end video content. Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn.
