Be the change you want

“Be the change you want to see in the world ...”

Mahatma Ghandi 1869-1948 Indian Philosopher,

This great quote got me thinking about the difference executives can make in their world of work:

Executives must design structures, create reporting relationships, and develop evaluation systems that make people accountable. Executives who set broad, stretching aspirations that are meaningful to their employees have a better chance of achieving the outcome they want than do executives who resort to conventional, dominant, or detailed top-down leadership.

And the Best way to promote high-performance behaviour in organizations is to emphasize openness and trust among employees.

Ten Tips to making a difference

1. All significant change throughout history has occurred as a result of the courage and commitment of individuals. Whether you do it alone, or with the help of others you're still a change maker.

2. Know that you have unique purpose and potential. It's not so much something to create as to be discovered. And it's up to you to discover it. Believe all that you can and will make a difference.

3. Recognize that everything you do, every step you take, every sentence you write, every word you speak-or DON'T speak--counts. Nothing is trivial. Everything matters.

4. To be the change you want to see, you don't have to be loud. You don't have to be eloquent. You don't have to be elected. You don't even have to be particularly smart or well educated. You do, however, have to be committed.

5. Be accountable, take personal responsibility. Never think "it's not my job". It's a cop-out to say, "What can I do, I'm only one person." You don't need everyone's cooperation or anyone's permission to make changes. "If it's to be, it's up to me."

6. Don't get caught up in the how of things. If you're clear on what you want to change and why you want to change it, the how will come. Many significant things have been left undone because someone let the problem solving interfere with the decision-making.

7. Don't wait for things to be right in order to begin. Change is messy. "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

8. The genesis for change is awareness. We cannot change what we don't acknowledge. Most of the time, we aren't aware of what's wrong or what's not working. We don't see what could be. By becoming more aware, we begin the process of change.

9. Take to heart these words from Albert Einstein -- arguably one of the smartest change masters who ever lived: "All meaningful and lasting change starts first in your imagination and then works its way out. Imagination is more important than knowledge."

10. In order for things to change, YOU have to change first. We can't change others; we can only change ourselves. However, when WE change, it changes everything. And in doing so, we truly can be the change we want to see.