Tensions in Leading Change at the BCorp Festival

𝗧𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, but too often, we see them as obstacles to be overcome.

Last week Gita and Megan hosted an event at B Lab UK Louder Than Words Festival; the largest gathering to date of BCorps using business as a force for good. The two days in Oxford were filled were discussions, talks and workshops about practices and experiences of disrupting "business as usual" to enable more sustainable ways of living and working together. 

Our event (over drinks and nibbles) helped to provide a space for people to reflect on day 1, and think about their work; the questions, the tensions and the dilemmas they face in leading and being in change.

Here’s some of the tensions and questions people shared:

• 𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦?
• 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴
• 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘪𝘨?
• 𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦?
• 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯?
• 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦
• 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘹 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦

These tensions—between individual and collective needs, stability and disruption, control and uncertainty — are the very spaces where creativity and new possibilities emerge.

What we do helps teams and organisations confront these tensions in ways they aren't typically used to, accessing the energy and insight that exists in them to work through complex situations more thoughtfully and effectively.

These conversations aren't always easy, but they are real and help people feel seen and heard. And while we don't walk away with all the answers, we're reminded that maybe that's the point. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.

Thank you to everyone that joined us for a reflective and refreshing evening, and we look forward to our next event soon!