Becoming a better person (or leader) is a process not an event.

We’ve all been there. It is your company’s annual training event. Everyone parades into a room and talks about how our company can become more innovative or better team players. The ideas fly around like wildfire; team members are energized, engaged, and motivated, but then something happens – they leave the ‘training room’ and return to their normal, day-to-day responsibilities. The company’s excitement over innovation or team-building fades like a meteor passing through the night sky.

Don’t fall into this trap on a personal level. You won’t lose 20 pounds overnight. You may not quit smoking on the first try. You can’t become a better public speaker by watching a video. Learning to change behavior is a marathon not a sprint. Develop a long-term, sustainable, on-going plan to change a certain behavior; check in with others on your progress; celebrate the small successes along the way. Before you know it, you’ll be onto your next improvement area.

Don’t forget the book to read: Marshall Goldsmith’s: “What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There.”

Until next time,

Dan Naden