Change Starts at the Top

For any significant change or improvement to be successful in an organization, it must be driven and modeled by the leadership.

The Principle

• Leadership Buy-in is Essential: If the leaders of an organization are not fully committed to a new initiative, it is unlikely to succeed.
• Leaders as Role Models: Leaders must personally participate in and model the desired behaviors. You cannot reinforce what you have not learned yourself.
• Top-Down Cascade: Change flows from the top down. When leaders are actively involved, it sends a powerful message to the rest of the organization that the change is important.

The Consequences of a Lack of Leadership

• Lack of Accountability: If leaders are not engaged, there will be no accountability for implementing the change.
• Resistance from the Team: Team members will be less likely to embrace a change if they do not see their leaders taking it seriously.
• Failed Initiatives: Many well-intentioned change initiatives fail due to a lack of leadership commitment.

This principle is closely related to Leaders as Role Models and is a critical success factor for The 10 Steps to Implement Any New Policy.