What frustrates you might reveal your unique value and enable you to lead change more effectively.
At @Conexen in Oxford recently, a panel discussed the “Art of Reinvention”. Very aligned with Leading for Change!
It was expertly moderated by Victoria Higgins and starred Jennifer Sampson Tammy Dougan and Majid Islam with many great insights.
Check out the reviews posted by Olga Zilberberg Victoria Higgins CONEXEN. 
I was particularly struck by a comment that Majid made. He said that writing down his frustrations was a key turning point in reinventing himself.
Have you ever found yourself thinking, “Why is this so difficult?”, “Surely there’s a better way?” or “Why does nobody seem to be addressing this problem?” These moments of frustration can be more than irritations. They can be clues to where we have an opportunity to create value.
This was one of Majid’s breakthrough moments and it resonated for me personally. For leaders in organizations frustrations are a powerful lever for change.The opportunity lies in understanding what the frustration is telling us.
Through the lens of Leading for Change, I believe there are three important steps to explore.
🔹 Recognise the frustration. nstead of accepting something as the way things are, get curious. What is not working? Who is affected? What assumptions are we making? And why does this matter?
🔹 Discover the value you (or your organisation) can uniquely bring. Not everyone sees a problem in the same way. Our experiences, expertise, perspectives and capabilities shape how we respond to challenges. The combination of these strengths can help us identify opportunities others might overlook.For individuals, it can reveal a strength, a passion or an opportunity to recognise a capability that others need. For entrepreneurs, it could mean creating a business that solves a problem in a distinctive way. For organisations, it could mean finding a better way to serve customers and new ways to stand out in a crowded market.
🔹 Turn insight into action.Recognising an opportunity is only the beginning. Creating value means testing ideas, listening to others, learning from feedback and adapting as you go. It means engaging people so they will come on the journey with you.
Finding your unique value is not simply about being different. It is about understanding what matters, recognising what you can contribute and translating that into something meaningful for others.
In an environment of continuous change, this ability becomes even more important. The frustrations we encounter today may be pointing towards the opportunities we need to explore tomorrow.
So, what is frustrating you right now?
Could it be highlighting an unmet need, an untapped strength or an opportunity to create value in a different way?
Lets not to try to eliminate every frustration, but instead consider if we can use that frustration as a catalyst for change.