Why we need troublemakers

"Nothing endures but change." -- Heraclitus

Sometimes quoted/translated as "Nothing is permanent except change." or "Change is the only constant.".

If you're organization isn't changing, then its getting worse. Circumstances change all the time, and your organization needs to change to accommodate the new circumstances.

This isn't an earth-shattering revelation.

But how does an organization change, and what does it to do an organization?

We need troublemakers.

Now, I'm not talking about people that create trouble just for its own sake. I'm talking about well-intentioned people, who are invested in the mission of the organization, who choose to stand out, and risk being pounded into the woodwork, to call for change.

If no one calls for change, then nothing will change. That seems so obvious that I almost feel ridiculous writing it, but it needs to be said. A call for change need not necessarily be verbal, or written, it could be through actions, but something has to occur within an organization to precipitate change. That something is what I'm labeling a call for change.

Someone who calls for change, however, risks "making waves", or "upsetting the apple cart", or being labeled "a troublemaker". But without these troublemakers calling for change, the organization grows stagnant, falls behind the times, and ultimately fails.

We need troublemakers. Cherish your troublemakers when their intentions are good. Embrace your troublemakers and recognize why they are calling for change.