If it ain’t broke, fix it.

That is the mantra of a leader who understands the changing world. As someone leading in the trenches, I have seen the drastic change in leadership styles that might have worked with a different generation yet needs to be adjusted to a new breed of people looking to you for leadership.

The issues we face today have also changed with the rise of mental health issues in the workplace; the pandemic that hit all of us affected all of us. That is one of the most significant cues we need to adjust and change in our leadership.

Maybe you haven’t heard of a guy named Butch Harmon. He is the coach of the legendary golfer Tiger Woods. One day, Tiger asked Butch to help him change his swing. Harmon told Tiger that changing it would also mean he might not win some tournaments that year but both of them were convinced this could be something they could change drastically. Butch Harmon was right – Tiger won only once in 1998. Many wondered why Tiger had to change something that ain’t broken.

But in 1999, with Tiger Wood’s new form, he won eight championships, including the PGA championship. In 2000, Tiger won nine tournaments, becoming the youngest golfer to achieve the Grand Slam. (Scroggins, The Aspiring Leader’s Guide to the Future, p33)

This is something we all need to possess. An ability to fix something intact with the understanding that times change, the people we lead change, and the world changes. As some things remain, many things we do as leaders require constant adjustments and flexibility.