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Everyone agrees that ‘we’ need to change, few people agree that ‘I’ need to change.

A key reason is our propensity to judge ourselves by our noble intentions, but to judge everyone else by their actions. In effect, we have a lower standard for ourselves than we do for others.

To optimize the performance of any team, each member must focus much more on their own gaps and development areas, than they do pointing out those of their colleagues. Team members must be role models first, and preachers second.

The challenge of change is that it’s typically easier to prescribe than to practice. It’s far more comfortable to identify what others should do differently than to confront our own gaps. Yet, any team transformation begins with individual transformation.

Progress starts with a simple question: “What’s mine to change?” Instead of critiquing others, team members should regularly ask themselves what behaviors, attitudes, or habits they can adjust to better serve the team’s purpose. This mindset fosters humility and accountability, turning finger-pointing into shared responsibility. When everyone commits to being a role model first and a preacher second, high performance in that team becomes a lived reality, not just an empty aspiration.

INSPIRATION FROM OTHERS

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou

“You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself.” – Jim Rohn

QUESTIONS TO REFLECT ON

• Do you focus more on your own gaps, or those of your colleagues?
• Do members of your team focus more on what they need to do differently than they do pointing out the flaws in their colleagues?
• What opportunities do you have to be a role model first?
  

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