There are massive amounts of books and content around that tell us how to change and improve our leadership skills or thinking. They are mostly good, and I too get excited about the next best thought piece from people who know what they’re talking about.

Personally, what gets to me is how I can read all this great material and still see nothing change in my approach, behaviour or development.

I might have been moved by the content, but the content hadn’t moved me!

To be fair, at times I have taken ideas forward to make slight changes and some have made a difference. However, at times tips, tools and instructions from business or self-help books share great concepts, but they haven’t stuck or they’ve been hard to apply.

The same can be true of some of the training courses we’ve been sent on. We do the course, love the ideas, get the workbooks and then shelve the material once we get back to work and it stays there gathering dust.

The whole thing reminded me of going on a fad diet (something I know a lot about). It’s great for the time you’ve committed to it, but because it’s usually not sustainable, the weight returns with many friends.

Don’t get me wrong I value the content, books, videos and training. But what I want to focus on here is what makes us truly change and what do we need to do to realise the value of new learning.

I’ve realised it’s not always our fault. We are bombarded with loads of ideas and content. I for one find my mind gets overloaded from reading and thinking about the many new theories levelled at leaders. Not to mention the data from research generated by industries and organisations.

I thought of all this from a conversation with a colleague recently. We talked about real change and what it might take to achieve this when we notice that we have gaps in our skills or knowledge.

I need meaning and purpose to motivate me to take action and stick to it. I am fully engaged when I can see that the action will add value to my life and work. Coaching has always helped with this, but the idea of getting to that place where I’m ready to change has involved so much more and I thought I’d share.

Getting ready for change

• Reflect: This is about gaining clarity on what you really want to address. Ask yourself if you’re truly ready to work on something, rather than forcing it. Consider the benefits of taking action and think of a time when you got it right and made progress.
  
• Challenge: Your thinking and mindset. It’s not that you can’t do something, it’s realising that you can’t do something ‘yet’. Notice your thoughts and challenge repetitive negatives to help you move towards a growth mindset.
  
• Explore: How do you like to learn? What’s the best environment for you to explore something new? We often stifle creativity and innovation because we are trying to follow what everyone else is doing.
  
• Set meaningful goals: Think about goals that will lead you to what you’re trying to change, then break it down and start with the smallest action towards achieving that goal. Remember it’s not a race – developing ourselves and learning new habits or approaches can take time.
  
• Get support: It’s not just about getting a coach. Make sure you have a support system around you. Ask yourself what you need to remain accountable and share it with your coach or those who you know support you.

I hope this has helped someone. I certainly will be reading this over again because all of this applies to me too. There’s a lot of stuff out there to consume and take in, but for it to add value, it has to mean something to us as individuals.