BE the change

“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. We need not wait to see what others do.”      Mahatma Gandhi

Every day I am blessed to work with talented—even brilliant— leaders in many disciplines. Many of them are mired in systems that they did not create; many of them have inherited teams currently inadequate to the task; many of them face daunting challenges on a daily, if not hourly, basis. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could wave a magic wand and eliminate the external challenges that impede their vision? Sadly, they are neither Penn nor Teller and there is no magic wand.

Yet Gandhi spoke about transforming the world by transforming ourselves. Like the stoics of old, he divided what he controlled from what he did not and he pointed to something deceptively simple: culture is contagious. If you model it, your team learns it. Whatever you model, they see. If you model dedication, they learn it. If you model respect, others mirror it. If you live to the standards you expect, you rarely have cause to lecture about them.

Leaders who wait for others to “get better first” usually wait forever. But when leaders shift first — when they embody the very change they’re asking for — it unlocks credibility, trust, and momentum.

Leaders who wait for others to “get better first” usually wait forever.

This leads to a simple mantra: “Give what you need.” If you need support, give support. If you need commitment, commit. If you need leadership, lead.

We don't change the culture by talking about the culture. (In fact, there is likely no better way to cement the culture than to talk about the culture.) Instead, model the culture you need and reward every instance of imitation. You will see the culture morph before you.

Too many times, those we lead can't hear what we are saying because our actions are too loud.

Too many times, those we lead can't hear what we are saying because our actions are too loud. This is what Gandhi meant when he uttered the opening quote that we now know as, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

"If you want your team to change, start by changing what they see every day...you.

"If you want your team to change, start by changing what they see every day...you.

So here’s the challenge: next time you’re tempted to say, “They need to…,” pause and ask, “What can I do right now to show the way?” This is simple but not easy. If you are complaining that your team is disorganized, how can you model organization? If your team frequently blows past deadlines and budgets, ask your self if you are always on time and under budget. Are you the model of the change you seek? The answer to that question is where lasting change takes root.