“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” This saying has been around for years. The Cambridge Dictionary says this means that it is very difficult to teach someone new skills or to change someone’s habits or character. While this may appear to be a simple cliché, it’s not a harmless one. Refusal to change can have some very serious consequences. 

Most organizations, whether private, not for profit, or government, have people with many years of experience in their most senior positions. This experience has a benefit and a downside. The benefit lies in the senior leader’s ability to handle situations, their track record of good performance, and the presence of skills that have been developed over time. The downside is that, due to past success, the leader may be reluctant and at times resistant to adapting to a different way of doing things. This lack of willingness to change often leads to an organization that does not keep up with shifting employee and customer needs.

 

It is common to hear about a family-owned business that finds that it’s harder and harder to keep performing well as each generation gives way to the next. It’s also common to hear, “Well, the later generations did not go through the same hardships the early founders did and may not be as driven.” But what if this theory isn’t true? What if the real reason the company declined is that the early founders, due to their past success, didn’t adapt to their changing environment and even hung onto their leadership roles too long? 

 

And what about non-family-owned businesses? My experience is the same reluctance to change can occur. When I owned a consulting company, middle managers or frontline supervisors would come to various sessions we held or would tell me they had read a book I had written. They would let me know that while they would love to work with us, their CEO said, “We can do this on our own.” While people under the top leadership group frequently saw the need to adapt to new practices, the top leaders did not want to change the way they did things, even though they may not have been as successful as they wanted to be. 

 

We were usually hired when the top person in the organization saw a need to get better, had tried doing it their way, were not seeing the results they wanted, and finally became willing to move into the uncomfortable world of change. Why? Because they believed that achieving results was more important than their comfort. These are the “walk the talk” leaders. 

 

So when the top leader would bring us in, here is what usually happened: The top leader would explain that they were hiring us to move performance in certain areas. Most senior leaders who reported to the CEO knew of us, and a few were the ones that were not getting the results. The top leader would explain that this would mean some changes. For example, there would be more measurement of employee engagement, productivity, quality, and customer service. A new leader evaluation tool would now be used to evaluate performance and there would be more accountability. There would be a mandatory increase in leadership development. There would be more transparency. While there were more changes, these were the items that impacted the senior leadership the most. 

 

As you might have guessed, some of the top leaders were concerned about all the changes. At times they would even try to convince the top leader not to hire us. However, the middle managers and the hourly employees were happy about the changes. They liked the fact that they were going to be surveyed and asked for their input on everything from supervisor feedback to recognition to work environment. 

 

The managers liked that they would have clear goals—which took the politics out of performance reviews—and would receive 64 hours of development. Being a manager is very hard. They were happy that we wanted to help them do their job better.

 

Employees felt good for the same reasons. They liked being able to give input to decision makers. They liked being rounded on by their supervisor to see what is going well and what is needed to do their job. They particularly liked being involved in hiring their coworkers.

 

My experience is that change is hardest on the people at the top. It means changing methods they have used for years and habits that have become deeply engrained. It also means adjusting to the reality that, in many ways, they will get worse before they get better.  

 

Here are some tips for top leaders facing change:

 

• Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Creative tension is what Peter Senge, the author of The Fifth Discipline, describes as the space that exists between where people are now and where they want to go. I went to one of his conferences years ago, and he said people know where they are, they know where they need to go, and in between is discomfort. No one likes to be uncomfortable, but it is a needed part of growth.

 

• Meet one-on-one with each direct report. Share where the company is going, the changes you plan to make, and that you’re 100 percent committed to making them. Explain you need them to be 100 percent on board (and if needed share what this looks like). Ask what percent on board they are, and if less than 100, discuss what it will take to get them there. Share that if they cannot be 100 percent committed by a certain time, they must leave the organization. Usually most get on board. If this leads to an exit, it is likely good for all concerned.

 

• Share with senior leaders that you realize change is hard. Tell them that you, like they, will be uncomfortable—however, you and they must role model the change for others. Just acknowledging this can make a big difference. 

 

• Take time to explain the why to them and the entire organization. Nothing is more powerful than knowing the reasons behind the change you’re being asked to make. Whether it’s to make life better for customers, to improve performance and profitability, or (and this is usually the case) both, understanding why keeps people motivated as they push through discomfort to learn new skills and override old habits. This is true not just for your senior leaders but for middle managers and all employees, so communicate the why over and over again.

 

• Celebrate small wins. Reward and recognize big successes. Maybe a measurable improvement occurs, or you sign on a big new account, or you get some praise from a happy customer. Anytime there’s a chance to say thank you to a senior leader, a department, or the whole company, take it. Positive reinforcement is a powerful driver for change. 

 

The good news is, most times you can teach an old dog new tricks. Research shows the brain has an incredible ability to learn, master new skills, and make new connection even at an advanced age. I’ve seen many seasoned leaders change their behaviors and habits in positive ways and have seen big improvements made inside companies. Approach change the right way and you’ll be amazed by the success that can happen.