Here's how you can become a culture change agent in your industry.

I often marvel at the disconnect between understanding change and relating with the change. The factor that's typically missing is authenticity. It is one thing to lend your voice to a cause or a movement, it's another to actually be a part of said movement. That's where the change truly impacts your life and becomes real. My recommendation is to be thoughtful on how you seek to influence the change around you, and be true to yourself if you are passionate about the real issue. It will be your passion and commitment to the change that sustains you when it gets tough. Only then will you find yourself, your true self, at the forefront of driving the changes you want to see.

Change typically requires inclusion. You have to decide to either go alone or with others.Rarely can any one person deliver the momentum enough to deliver on the changes they seek. So, include others along the journey. Even big name politicians seek to include others on their path to whichever office they seek. They try to hire experts and the best people available to fill the roles. Why is that? Because no one person can do all things or be in multiple places at one time. So, engage with those seeking similar changes as you are and then bring in the skeptic. You should always have the one person with divergent views to be in the room. This will ensure different views are vetted and hopefully yield the best outcome possible.

Reflecting on my experiences in HR and driving culture change, I've often found storytelling to be a transformative method for communicating clearly and in a way that is both memorable and accessible to everyone. It has helped create the conditions where we effectively bridge the gap between complex and sometimes abstract ideas and everyday experiences by making connections that most people can relate to on an individual level. Your best stories will be those you tailor to reflect your team's diverse experiences and aspirations. When you do this and speak with empathy and authenticity, you will be more likely to deliver relatable and personal messages that will help them see themselves as active participants in the change.

We forget at times that our actions demonstrate our hearts. Lead by example has been a hallmark in leadership circles for centuries. Yet, in modern day business, it seems like a soft skill foreign to leaders. Why has that become the case? Simple really. The lack of accountability and fear of confrontation in the workplace. We think because we have the bigger title that our decisions should not be questioned. We created insubordination as a means to quiet the messenger from the message. Egos have ruined collaboration and the way people voice their concerns has turned into hostile work environment claims. We need to embrace eggshell conversations and begin healing in the workplace through truly leading by and through our example again.

Clear and consistent communication to the correct constituents is crucial. OK- I got carried away with the Cs but you get the idea. Clarity is the gift that leaders should provide to their teams as often as possible- but especially during culture shifts. Lack of clarity means ambiguity and confusion... both of which will lead to inertia.

Foster innovation is a fascinating subject to me. We want all innovation to be engineered, put a patent on it, and yield residual income for generations. Yet we forget that most innovation starts with a person being lazy and asking the question, how can I make my life simpler and add back time by doing this process or task easier? We often mistake ingenious solutions for failure to follow processes. We tend to be caught up in SOPs that we don't spend the time with the Frontline workers asking them about their jobs and how they can simply get the work done without compromising quality or safety. The challenge is in understanding the difference in innovation and technology. They aren't necessarily the same.