‍The reality of returning to work

Picture this - you've just finished an inspiring leadership program. You're energized, motivated, and have a list of transformative actions you're eager to implement. But once you're back in the office, your great intentions quickly collide with the daily pressures and entrenched habits of your workplace.

We liken this to plucking a leader from a fast-flowing river - the busy work environment - placing them briefly on dry land (the training), then tossing them back and expecting them to swim upstream. It's obviously a real struggle!  we need to look to change the direction of the water.  

Four keys to creating lasting change

1. Practice with intent (not perfection)

Leaders often stumble because they think every new practice must be executed flawlessly from day one. But as with learning any skill—like playing an instrument or sports—leadership behaviours improve with practice. Being open to imperfection and continuous learning is crucial.

Carol Dweck's work on Growth Mindset highlights the importance of viewing leadership behaviours as skills that can be developed rather than fixed traits (Dweck, 2006).

An example of this working in the real world is a senior manager who embraced coaching after attending a leadership program. She didn't wait for a formal coaching session; instead, she began incorporating coaching-style questions into daily interactions, starting small and gradually shifting her team dynamics.

2. Engage your team in the journey

Often Leaders attempting to employ new skills and approaches will do so alone, they attempt to ‘quietly’ introduce new behaviours, without clearly articulating what they are trying to do to those arounds them. The effect is confusion, people notice a change but they’re unsure how to react. Leaders who transparently communicate their development goals and practices to their teams foster accountability, shared commitment and support. Explaining why you’re adopting new approaches helps reduce confusion and resistance.

One executive shared his intention to ask more questions instead of directly providing solutions, he took the time to explain why he wanted to change hie approach and invited everyone to take part in a different way of interacting. Initially this was met with scepticism. However, ongoing commitment and explanation meant this transparency soon increased team engagement and drove initiative.

3. Support from above, engagement from below

Effective change often needs "top-down support and bottom-up implementation." Senior leaders should create space and permission for experimentation and learning. Simultaneously, frontline team members, empowered by this autonomy, can suggest practical improvements directly impacting customers and processes.

Amy Edmondson’s work on psychological safety confirms that creating environments where teams feel safe to experiment significantly boosts performance and innovation (Edmondson, 2019).

Working with a retail company, the senior leadership team decided to really lean into this concept. They ran a number of information sessions, openly admitting they didn’t have all the answers, they asked store managers and team members to suggest and test customer-focused ‘experiments’. This led to measurable improvements in customer satisfaction and engagement.

4. Sustaining the impact: Structured conversations and coaching pods

Reflective practice is vital but often overlooked. Structured group coaching, or "coaching pods," can create accountability and regular reflection. Having scheduled, guided conversations helps to reinforce learning and build habits.

Why It Works: Regular, structured interactions like coaching pods provide accountability, reinforce learning, and make reflection a consistent habit, increasing the likelihood of behavioural changes becoming embedded in daily routines. The key here is a mindset of ongoing application and reflection that embeds new practices, rather than a post program activity or project with a start and finish.  

By embracing these insights and practical steps, leadership development can transition from mere training to transformative impact. Curious to learn more about embedding leadership behaviours effectively? Stay tuned for our next blog about forming positive behavioural habits and removing obstacles that hinder progress.

Let’s keep this conversation going—what’s worked in your experience? Share your stories!