Change Is Hard. But Staying Stuck Is Worse.

The other day, I had a friend’s birthday celebration to attend, and having put off getting a present for her until the last minute, I was relieved to find something I thought she’d like on one of the top luxury retail apps in the UAE. It was one of those moments that made me marvel at the ease of e-commerce – barely two hours after placing the order on my phone, the item was at my doorstep.

But then, a problem. The product I had gotten seemed to have a fault. I say “seemed,” because what I’d bought was an artwork of sorts, and I simply couldn’t tell whether the imperfection I saw in it was a defect, or, well, intended. Not wanting to gift my friend something that might be damaged, I called the retailer’s customer service, hoping that someone there could check the other pieces of this product they had in stock, and then tell me if the glitch I saw in it was real, or if I was just imagining it.

Now, the customer service agent I spoke to was empathetic; however, they said that verifying my concern would take, as per their process, at least 24 to 48 hours. Here, I emphasized the urgency I had, since I needed to take this gift to a party later that day, and I argued that if they can deliver a product in two hours, then they should be able to check their inventory – and ensure a re-delivery, if needed – just as fast.

The agent agreed with the logic of what I was saying, but said, “I’m sorry, but that’s not our process.”

“But the process isn’t working in this situation,” I retorted.

“I know, but we can’t deviate from the process,” they replied.

The instant they said that, I knew I wasn’t going to get a solution to my problem. I may have imagined the flaw in my purchase, but there was no mistaking the faulty mindset at play here. How many of us have followed a rule, a system, or a way of doing things, either because that’s how it’s always been done, or because we find ourselves handcuffed to processes?

The latter is the result of leadership not empowering their high performers to make change happen – which leads to a loss for business, either directly (like, in my case, I returned the item), or indirectly (I’m telling everyone about my experience). As for the former, that happens because, all too often, we get comfortable with the familiar – we repeat patterns without questioning them. Even when a smarter, more efficient way of doing things is presented to us, we reject it – simply because change feels inconvenient.

But here’s the thing: clinging to paradigms that don’t work is never a winning strategy, in business or in life. The people who truly move forward – much like companies that thrive – are the ones who question the norm, recognize when something isn’t working, and dare to do things differently. After all, growth doesn’t come from following the status quo. The ones who break away from “business as usual” are the ones who build what’s next.

The question is: are you bold enough to be one of them?

This article first appeared in the March 2025 issue of Inc. Arabia magazine. To read the full issue online, click here.