Hi - Dror here.
Hope you’re doing well.
Here’s your Wednesday Weekly Energy #240. (No French translation in summer mode 😀)
Reading time: 4 min
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The 5-Minute Habit That Changes How Leaders See You
You received your 360-degree review. You identified one or two areas for improvement. For two weeks, you think about it. You make an effort.
Then, the daily whirlwind takes over. The emergencies. The back-to-back meetings. Your good intention drowns in the noise. A bit like our New Year's resolutions.
Six months later, nothing has really changed. It's not a lack of willpower. It's a problem of method.
The intention to change is not enough. The initial effort fades. And the perception of your teams, your management, and your peers remains the same.
This status quo has a cost. It holds back your career. It limits your impact. It anchors an image of you in the minds of others that no longer matches the person you want to become.
The solution is not a revolutionary new leadership concept. It's simpler. Almost boring. But incredibly effective. It's the same in different fields. Sales, project management…
“For all the Jedi tactics I could teach you, what ultimately separates success and failure in sales, is simply a lack of follow-up. “- Justin Michael
It's called follow-up.
It's the discipline that transforms an intention into a change in behavior that everyone recognizes.
Here are 4 pillars to integrate follow-up into the core of your leadership.
1. Establish the "Follow-Up Factor" to Change Perceptions
The Concept: Consistent and disciplined follow-up is the most effective way to improve others' perception of your effectiveness. Your behavior change only counts if those around you notice it.
The Tool / Exercise: Monthly Check-ins with Stakeholders.
How to Apply It:
- Schedule 3- to 5-minute check-ins once a month with each key stakeholder.
- Be specific. Politely request specific examples of your actions over the past month.
- Ask for suggestions for the coming month.
- Maintain a positive and energetic tone. Respect their time.
- Give them credit. When you apply one of their suggestions, thank them and tell them their idea worked.
The Example: A study of 10,000 people showed a direct correlation between the frequency of a leader's follow-up and the perceived increase in their effectiveness. Leaders who interacted "frequently" were perceived as having improved far more than those who had "little" or "no" interaction.
The Coaching Question: "How often do you follow up with your key stakeholders to measurably change their perception of your leadership effectiveness?"
2. Move from "Feedback" to "Feedforward"
The Concept: "Feedforward" focuses on suggestions for the future, not criticism of the past. This approach is powerful for leaders because it is action-oriented and forward-looking, which eliminates defensive reactions.
The Tool / Exercise: Future-Oriented Questioning.
How to Apply It:
- Explicitly ask for suggestions for upcoming situations.
- Ask future-oriented questions. Instead of: "How did I handle the last meeting?", ask: "For project X next month, what would you suggest I communicate and how?"
- Build your action plan directly from your stakeholders' suggestions.
The Example: In a large-scale coaching program, marketing managers dramatically improved their effectiveness. Their teams' satisfaction rate rose from 86% to 97%. Their method: communicating their goals, creating action plans based on their teams' input, sharing them, and conducting disciplined monthly follow-ups. The success was attributed to their humility and courage in soliciting frank feedback and feedforward.
The Coaching Question: "In your next interactions, how will you specifically ask for suggestions for the future, rather than focusing on what went wrong in the past?"
3. Turn Your Stakeholders into Coaches
The Concept: Actively involve your stakeholders to make them your "everyday coaches." This systematic approach ensures you are working on relevant, visible changes that directly benefit you and your colleagues.
The Tool / Exercise: Strategic Stakeholder Enrollment.
How to Apply It:
- Identify the right people. Choose stakeholders based on their interdependence with you, the frequency of your interactions, and their willingness to help.
- Get your manager's buy-in on your goal and your list of stakeholders.
- Formally "recruit" each person. Explain your process and ask them to actively participate by giving you feedback and feedforward.
- Share your action plan with them so they know which behaviors to look for.
The Coaching Question: "How will you actively turn your key stakeholders into everyday coaches to ensure your change in behavior is visibly recognized?"
4. Commit Publicly and Share Your Plan
The Concept: Communicating your goal for change and sharing your action plan creates positive accountability. It tells those around you what you are working on, which encourages them to notice and support your efforts.
The Tool / Exercise: Communicating Your Action Plan.
How to Apply It:
- State your commitment simply and positively.
- Share it with your stakeholders. For example: "I intend to start being more concise when giving directions immediately. Please feel free to point it out if you see me slipping back into old habits."
The Example: Marshall Goldsmith's coaching approach is built entirely on this principle. Clients publicly announce their intention to change and ask their stakeholders to help them stay on track, thanking them systematically for their help.
The Coaching Question: "What observable behavioral changes are you committing to, and how will you actively involve your key stakeholders in recognizing and supporting these changes?"
True leadership isn’t measured by the absence of flaws, but by the discipline to improve.
If you're an aspiring C-Level leader determined to accelerate your career, let's talk. A personalized coaching engagement can help you embed these principles into the core of your leadership.
Contact me for an exploratory discussion.
Thank you.
See you next Wednesday.
Dror. 🙏 ( Say hello on Linkedin)
PS : Share with friends, and get free coaching with me.
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