My dog’s favorite toys are her blankets. She has a pile of them she drags through the house, creating new piles for playing and sleeping. The flattened piles don’t look like the best bed, so when I was at Costco, I got her a fluffy new bed. It looks great and should be way better than the pile of blankets. Apparently she doesn’t think so. She sleeps on the pile of blankets next to her brand new bed. I think the new bed is better, but clearly she doesn’t.
This is a classic lesson in business. As a leader, it doesn’t matter if you think it is better. Your people, your customers, your investors and the community must think it is better too. You may need to demonstrate why it is better if it isn’t readily apparent. People will change their behaviors when they are better off. So, if you want people to do something different, understand what they believe is better. What is stopping you from getting started?
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