Run with the horse

Bite sized leadership advice

Run with the horse before you try and change the direction.

Establish credibility, trust and positive intent before you try to bring about the change.

Trying to change a team or leaders direction too quickly creates resistance.

Build a bond with the leader you are trying to change, demonstrate your positive intent and find common ground in your shared motives.

It is often easier to agree on the what rather than the how.

If you try and pull the horse in a different direction too quickly it will fight back and it is tough to then build the relationship.

Health Warning: If you have been brought into a business to bring about “Big Change’, watch for this one. The business pages are littered with CEO’s who have lasted 12–18 months in an organisation before being asked to leave. They quickly became isolated by working against the organisation.

Run with the horse first, then nudge the direction.

This is part of our Leadership Wizdom series, bite sized leadership advice for leaders who wish to improve their leadership, but don’t have much time. For more indepth articles check out The Change Wizard