Speaking yesterday about noise being a healthy part of culture, made me think about the difference between resistance and inquiry. Some types of noise imply dissatisfaction or resentment (resistance) while other types are genuinely trying to be constructive or innovative (inquiry). But sometimes it can be very difficult to tell the difference.
For example: “I can’t believe how long it takes us to process these forms!” Could fall into either bucket depending on who is saying it, why they are choosing to say it, who they are saying it to and how often they’ve said it in the past. If it is something they’ve been saying twice a week for 10 years without doing anything about it, it’s most likely resistance. But if they are saying it with the desire to improve and fix the process, it becomes inquiry.
To be a good leader, you must be open to noise and able to tell the difference between when you need to walk someone off of a ledge versus push them to take their ideas to the next level and actually effect change. It’s not easy; it’s actually impossible without empathy.