KEEPING YOU HONEST
For a leader to get those around him to recognize that he is changing, of course, he has to actually change.
That's one reason it's so important to make everyone aware of the intention to change. It helps keep the leader aware of his developmental goals. The leader knows people are watching him to see if he is listening better and being more respectful, for instance, so he is more likely to do so. It keeps the leader honest.
To change, leaders have to first decide for themselves that they need to change. Change is always a choice; there is always the option of remaining just as you are. Stability is easier than progress, although it invites entropy. And no one wants to get worse. Along with this freedom of choice, there is a responsibility to choose well. The old way is always more familiar and creates a kind of a default setting that it is all too easy to snap back into. It takes work to make a real change.
William Bridges, a leading consultant, author, and speaker who helps show individuals and organizations how to deal more productively with change, refers to the uncomfortable territory between the old way and the new way as a transition. A transition is like a wilderness. You feel lost, ungrounded, and uncertain. The feedback and coaching that leaders can get from others along the way helps them to feel their way through this unfamiliar territory.
To change, leaders have to first decide for themselves that they need to change. Change is always a choice; there is always the option of remaining just as you are.
Habitual behaviors are those that have developed to a maturity where they bypass thought. To change such behaviors, people have to bring them back into the thought process. It can be frustrating at first, but it's necessary.