Today the Space Shuttle Discovery took its final flight atop a 747 enroute to Washington, D.C. for its final destination at the Smithsonian. I had the opportunity on a number of occasions over the years to witness Shuttle launches from Cape Canaveral which was always a spectacular show.

Many today bemoan the end of an era with the Shuttle program and wonder just what the future holds for the space program. And granted, as much as the space program has been a part of our national experience the past number of decades, I understand the sentiment.

The events of today cause me to think of an important leadership lesson that can be hard to embrace at times: change. I am reminded of what John Maxwell wrote about change when he said, “Once the leader has personally changed and discerned the difference between novel change and needed change, then that leader must become a change agent.” So, what about you? Do you embrace change and are you a change agent?

To be sure, nothing stays the same as we witnessed this morning. But unless you are willing to change for the sake of the future, you will always be living in the past with no clear vision for the future.

How do you embrace change? I’d like to hear your thoughts.

 

© 2012 Doug Dickerson

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