Rich at High Performance Change writes:
Our natural resistance to change shows up as fear (of present threats) and anxiety (about potential threats). Politicians are afraid that making commitments at COP26 - such as quickly shutting down fossil-fuels - will quickly cause economic chaos. And they’re anxious that voters - who have historically prioritised their own lives and livelihoods ahead of the planet - might turn against them at the next election. No-one has been to the position we find ourselves in today, and the unknown is an area that has always been marked on the political map as ‘here be dragons – keep out’. That’s because just like lawyers who never ask a question they don't know the answer to, politicians never venture deep into uncharted territory because that’s where mistakes are made. And politicians are never allowed to make or admit mistakes - which is odd given how many they make.
Having rigidly shunned 25 chances to limbo under the 1.5°C bar, our politicians and captains of industry have certainly proven beyond reasonable doubt they’re world leaders in resisting change. So is Glasgow proving to be any different?
The concept of the ‘burning platform’ is that we will only jump into the icy waters of change when it becomes less painful than the flames consuming the status quo. It’s looking like too many leaders are still not feeling enough heat, and they remain too afraid of upsetting their own apple carts today to help save everyone’s orchard tomorrow.
The political temperature will have to rise further before the leaders who could be mending the planet stop breaking their promises as we flood, fire and freeze our way to COP27.
At High Performance Change we help our clients to increase their adaptability intelligence to ensure they’re ready for whatever lies around the corner in a world that’s changing rapidly. If you’d like to equip your people with the skills they need to embrace change, contact us for an initial discussion.