INVITE TO CHANGE

Leaders will be tasked with implementing change at some point in their journey. Maybe not in week one—or even year one—but it will happen. The change may be mandated from above, or it may be your idea. Either way, navigating change is never simple. It’s complex, and if you want it to last, you need a plan.

So how do you play it?  The following might be a new way of looking at leading change.

You need to lead within your own style, but there is one common thread to success: you must influence your team to understand why the change matters—why it will benefit them and the organization in the long run.

“You can’t rearrange the furniture unless you’re invited into the house,” said John J. Murphy, a solution-focused therapist.  That line hits, doesn’t it?

Let me give you a quick example.

I once watched a well-meaning leader roll out a new system—new expectations, new structure, the whole thing. He was organized, clear, and confident it was the right move. At the first staff meeting, he laid it all out.  Teachers are a tough audience who are often skeptical of anything new. This group was not the exception. They have seen new initiatives come and go through the years. 

The plan itself wasn’t the problem. The people weren’t invited into the house.

Now contrast that with another leader facing a similar situation. Before anything was rolled out, she sat down with a handful of respected staff members. Not to sell the idea—but to ask:
“What are you seeing?”
“What’s not working?”
“If we were to adjust this, what would matter most to you?”

Those conversations spread. People started talking—not because they were told to, but because they were part of it.

So, when the change was finally introduced, something felt different.

It wasn’t, “Here’s what we’re doing.”

It was, “Here’s where we’re going… and you helped shape it.”

Same goal. Very different outcome.

Change is that house. If we’re going to rearrange it, people need to understand the why—and more importantly, how it benefits them. You can force compliance, but without buy-in, the impact will be minimal at best. Lasting change is driven by committed, motivated people—not the person sitting behind the desk.

Yes… that’s you, the leader.

The size of your team matters. If you lead six people, you can have those all-important one-on-one conversations to build alignment. If you lead fifty—or five hundred—you need to be far more intentional and strategic in how you create influence.

And let’s not overlook Murphy’s title: solution-focused therapist.  That’s a useful reminder.  At your core, leadership is about solving problems. People look to you for direction—something they can apply to make their work and their lives better.

So, here’s the path forward:

If you want lasting change, you must be invited into the house.

1. Start with one-on-one conversations.
Identify the influencers in your organization—the respected voices. Talk with them first. Ask for their thoughts. Listen. When people feel heard, resistance drops. This step takes time, and that’s exactly why many leaders skip it. Don’t. If you want lasting change, this is where it begins.

2. Multiply the message through trust.
Encourage those influencers to connect with one or two others. People listen to people they trust. If Sam is skeptical, maybe Jose—the coworker he respects—can reach him in a way you can’t. Keep the conversations going until the message spreads organically.

3. Let peers lead before you launch.
Before rolling out the initiative, create space for influencers to speak within the larger group. Peer-to-peer communication reduces the feeling of a top-down mandate. It allows concerns to surface, questions to be asked, and—most importantly—benefits to be understood.

Because let’s be honest: everyone is asking the same question—

“What’s in it for me?”

And that’s fair. Most people won’t change unless they see a personal benefit.

There shouldn’t be surprises when the change finally comes. You may not have unanimous support, but you want the vast majority on board—ready, not resistant.  They are open to doing things differently.  If you get there, you have already succeeded. 

No one can be forced to truly change.  But great leaders, the ultimate influencers, build the relationships and influence that make people want to change.  And when the organization succeeds, it’s not because of the leader alone—it’s because of the people on the front lines.

So, remember:  INVITE!