People don’t fail to change because they don’t understand leadership.
They fail because the system pulls them back to old habits.
A familiar scene:
- Workshop ends
- Feedback is glowing
- Certificates shared
- Monday morning… nothing changes
The False Assumption We Make
“If people know better, they’ll do better.”
- Awareness ≠ Behaviour
- Insight ≠ Habit
- Motivation ≠ Consistency
Why Behaviour Never Sticks (3 Simple Reasons)
Reason 1: No space to practice
- Leaders go back to firefighting
- No safe environment to try new behaviours
Reason 2: Systems reward old behaviour
- Speed > coaching
- Delivery > reflection
- Compliance > courage
Reason 3: No follow-through
- Training is an event
- Leadership is a process
What Actually Changes Behaviour (The Shift)
- Practice over PowerPoint
- Reflection over ratings
- Real work situations over role-plays
- Time, reinforcement, feedback loops
Example:
A technically brilliant manager Learned “coaching skills” But was never permitted to slow down.
Behaviour changed only when:
- KPIs changed
- Manager support existed
- Reinforcement was built in
This is why at Excellential, we design leadership development as a journey, not a workshop.
If you’re tired of leadership programs that feel good but change nothing, start here.
Discover how we design leadership journeys and measure their effectiveness.
