5 ways to successfully lead change in your organization

Ascending to a leadership role is expected in the business world, but those unprepared for the stress and enjoy task-based work instead of process-based strategizing and problem-solving may find themselves burning out as a leader, writes Art Markman, a professor and vice provost for academic affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Focus on the things that satisfy you, Markman advises, because "the joy you get from your work will come from the job itself, rather than from its perks."

Put it into practice: If doing daily task-oriented work is what brings you joy, a leadership role may not be best for you, Markman notes, since leaders are mainly involved in organizational and strategic work. "Indeed, even if you do enjoy being in leadership roles, you may still miss some elements of other jobs you had in the past."

The business landscape is constantly changing, and you can lead that change by embracing it, inviting and supporting needed behavioral changes, taking action to communicate the changes and creating a sense of co-ownership among your team, writes executive coach Dave Coffaro. "Champion a vision of where the organization is going in the evolution of who you serve and how you deliver to your customers," Coffaro writes.

Put it into practice: Self-initiated changes can keep companies one step ahead of leaders who wait for external pressures to force their hand, Coffaro notes. "The outcome of misinterpreting the mandate for change is fatigue, disengagement and resistance."

When giving feedback to your team members, let them know what they're doing right and how it impacts the success of the business, be specific about behaviors to keep doing, start doing or stop doing and deliver sensitive feedback in private, writes executive coach Scott Eblin. When receiving feedback, Eblin recommends asking for specific steps to take, examples of what improvement looks like and recruiting an accountability partner to help you make changes.

Put it into practice: Make feedback a routine part of your culture by modeling the behavior and seeking out recommendations on "what you should keep, start, and stop doing to help the team succeed," Eblin recommends. "A culture of feedback promotes the growth mindset your organization needs to compete in a rapidly changing world."

Leaders can create a culture of innovation and risk-taking by implementing a "to-test" list made up of team ideas as well as rethinking work processes and being open to unexpected solutions, says Josh Linkner, innovation expert and author of "Big Little Breakthroughs." "Let's challenge ourselves a bit to go out on a limb, to look for those oddball, unexpected, unorthodox ideas, because sometimes those are the most effective," Linkner notes.

Geologist and Italian Renaissance specialist Ann Pizzorusso says she's sure that the backdrop to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa painting is the small town of Lecco in northern Italy, evidenced by the arched bridge and the limestone rock formations there that perfectly match the painting. Others have claimed to find the original location for the painting's landscape, but as Michael Daley, executive director of ArtWatch UK, observed, "No art historian is qualified to take Ann on in terms of her scientific understanding. The other studies are dead ducks now."

A couple of stories from yesterday's edition of SmartBrief on Leadership brought some reader feedback.

Mark L. commented on the article warning us never to say, "That's not my job," which he says reminded him of the Earl Nightingale quote: "Successful people form the habit of doing what failures don't like to do."

"I've used that quote many times over the years when I've been asked by team members or mentees who have asked for advice on how to get ahead in their careers," Mark says.

Also, my former colleague, Tim Welsh, offered insights on the article about what leaders can learn from rugby. Tim says he played six seasons of rugby at Frostburg State University and can attest to how the game shaped his leadership skills.

"It definitely is a sport with mutual respect for opponents, teammates and officials, and one may think that the roughness triggers fighting, which is not tolerated but does not cross the minds of players. Want to show aggression towards an opponent? Make a great tackle and run to score a try! This is a lesson that pro athletes should learn," Tim offers.

Thanks to Mark and Tim for offering their thoughts and how SmartBrief on Leadership is helping them think more deeply about how they lead!

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