Manila, 24 June 2021 — What does it take to continue positive change?

“Not to advance is to drop back.” — Chinese saying

Story

It happened in 2021. A storm is brewing in Canberra, where Australia’s federal government is upset about UNESCO’s recommendation to list the Great Barrier Reef, a World Heritage Site, as being ‘in danger.’ The rating might reflect poorly on the government’s stewardship of the environment that is vital to its economy.

Australia’s natural resources, including its scarce water resources, are both vulnerable and under pressure. The government, widely seen to drop back behind other advanced economies when it comes to tackling climate change, is facing severe challenges in natural resources management. Over the years though, the country has received praise for its water innovations that have attracted many visitors to come and study its reforms, from catchment management to water-sensitive urban design. Not all reviews have been positive, however, especially about the effects on the environment. Water reforms are a challenge to manage anywhere in the world, and Australia has had its share of hiccups. 

Both the good and not-so-good examples in Australia’s natural resources management offer valuable opportunities to learn about leadership, which is about influencing positive change in order to advance. Today we take a look at the variability of leadership over time, noting that advances in pioneering positive change have sometimes been followed by unexpected regressions of dropping back. This is not limited to Australia of course. Organizations around the world face this risk. So what does that teach us about leadership?

Challenge

I remember vividly how in the 1990s Australia’s state of New South Wales enjoyed an enviable reputation for excellence in water reform, built on investments in their human resources for basin planning and the introduction of water use rights for a water market. The international water community watched these reforms with great interest.

Fast forward a decade, however, and I was being told by government leaders in the neighboring state of Victoria how badly New South Wales had slacked off and dropped the ball on these reforms after being in the lead. How did that happen, I asked? What I heard was that a group of excellent professionals had moved on and that the state government hadn’t invested enough in maintaining their capacity to lead change. Essentially, they had run out of steam. Years later, thankfully, they picked up the pace again, but not after a lot of damage was done for which the federal government had to find costly solutions (which Victoria had to contribute to).

Running out of steam is something that we can observe in many organizations that have championed an early success in a series of positive changes. It can happen anywhere, and at many levels, large and small. It teaches us a lesson that positive change does not continue by itself unless we keep investing in it. To keep influencing change, the next generation of leaders needs onboarding, training, and coaching to sustain reform and to take it to the next level. When we don’t keep our eye on the ball and the game, instead of advancing, we drop back.

Question

The challenge to keep influencing positive change over a longer period is a tough one. No leader can do it alone. It needs teamwork and continuous investment in building capacity and supporting innovation. To add to the challenge, champion leaders are known to depart (too) soon to embark on the next challenge. That’s not good for the continuity of change, hence other leadership roles are needed too.

How secure is the positive change that you are leading in your business or organization? What is needed for the torch to burn brighter and to keep burning consistently over time? Who should be trained and coached to become the next torchbearers? History shows that these are questions you overlook at your peril.

At the level of your individual leadership, this challenge of continuity is also important. As a change-maker, your motivational energy is bound to go through ups and downs, like the seasons in nature. Given those natural patterns of ebb and flow, what matters is how consistently you keep influencing positive change through your leadership behaviors on the job, every day, week, and month. To do that, you need to take good care of yourself and frequently replenish your energies. How high do you score yourself on consistency in your leadership practice? With consistency, your efforts to keep influencing change will pay off in results and also protect you from dropping back and running out of steam.