As leaders we have been conditioned to think that our job is to come up with a brilliant strategy, share that vision with the team and let them at it, all the while “managing performance” to ensure accountability along the way.  We chug along accepting things as they are until business results don’t meet.  Usually a diagnosis is given as to the problem, people aren’t working hard enough, they aren’t spending enough time with customers, the data isn’t in the right format and doesn’t come often enough, etc, etc… and a prescribed regimen to change certain behaviors is mandated.  

It sounds good, but it rarely works.  We try to change too many things at once and most don’t stick.  Most obvious is that leaders don’t model that behavior that they expect.  I have seen this time and time again in my 15 years of experience.  A leader tells the team to spend more time with customers but continues to demand reports that force the team to be behind a desk crunching numbers.  I leader sends the team to leadership training or provides them a coach, but doesn’t participate in the training themselves or demonstrate the behavior they expect in others.

If you want to start to see real change in your organization, start simple.  Follow Gandhi’s lead, and be the change you want to see in your organization.