How to Start Success Behaviours and Stop Derailment Behaviours to Accelerate Results

Adapted from the book: The Talent Advantage by Dr. Alan Weiss and Dr. Nancy MacKay, published by Wiley.

Everyone is put on the planet to achieve their full potential. We all have strengths and we all have opportunities for improvement. It’s a life-long journey to achieve your full potential. In order to accelerate results, a critical success factor for all leaders is to be able to start success behaviours and stop derailment behaviours. And, to develop an ability to help others start success behaviours and stop derailment behaviours.

CEO Success Behaviours:
Emotional Intelligence: mood, adaptability, stress management, interpersonal, intrapersonal

Additional Success Behaviours: smart, decisive, delivers results, straight talk, passion, high expectations

CEO Derailment Behaviours:
Not listening; not allowing others to influence; dismissive; intimidating; always dissatisfied; not able to manage emotions; fosters burnout; lack of delegation and coaching/mentoring; lack of interpersonal connection

Here are 10 behaviour change strategies to help you become a better leader:

1. It’s possible for people to start and stop behaviours if they are: (1) open to feedback, (2) willing to accept help, and (3) if they want to change their behaviours.
2. There are three approaches to helping people start and stop behaviours: (1) shared experiences, (2) advice giving, and (3) coaching questions (What is the issue/situation? What are your options? What will you do?)
3. We all have skills, behaviours and experience. The most challenging area of development is behaviour change. Hold yourself and others accountable for behaviour change –not just results.
4. How we think and feel determines our behaviours and actions. Change your beliefs and master your emotions to speed up behaviour change.
5. Feedback is a gift. Get the evidence to speed up behaviour change.
6. Minimize ego-talk (right/wrong; looking good; control freak/avoid control; blame; defensive).
7. People avoid pain and seek pleasure. People change behaviours when there is a sense of urgency for change.
8. It is more effective to change your own behaviours than to expect others to change their behaviours. Being the exemplar leads to behaviour change in others.
9. Specificity speeds up behaviour change and results. Make commitments in writing to others.
10. Practice every day. It takes 21 days for behaviour change to take place.